Annual report on Basutoland / Colonial Office.

  • Great Britain. Office of Commonwealth Relations.
Date:
[1953]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on Basutoland / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/96 (page 6)
    imported during the year, bringing the total 12,572 since the inception of this scheme in 1935. Exports of wool amounted to 7,445,733 lb. valued at£M89A47- The total number of Angora rams imported for resale to flock owners during 1952-53 was 607. The Basuto themselves have recommended that unprofitable goats should be disposed of, and arrangements are being made for these to be sold for slaughter. Exports of mohair amounted to 1,137, 8411b. valued at £350,834. In last year’s report, it was stated that one mechanized unit will be operating in each of the nine districts on a group farming basis. Relying on the experience of others in this sphere, it has been decided to alter this scheme to the extent that four units are working in the Pilot Project area and one in the Matsieng area. The latter unit was introduced on the initiative of the Paramount Chief Regent, and operated on some of her land. The future of mechanized units operating in Basutoland will depend largely on the experience gained from the working of these five units which can be closely studied in their present areas. Basuto who wished to enter the Agricultural Department have, hitherto, been trained at the various agricultural colleges in the Union of South Africa. These facilities are no longer available, and it has become necessary for the Territory to train its own staff. It is proposed to build a centre at the Maseru Experiment Station which will be used not only for training staff, but also for providing refresher courses for them and other interested persons, such as Basuto Administration officials. 4. CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES The total number of co-operative societies at the end of the year was 29. This figure is the same as at the end of the previous year, but its composition is different. There are now 11 Wool and Mohair Marketing Societies, compared with 10 ; 11 Consumers’ Societies compared with 14 ; and seven Agricultural Societies compared with five. Three consumers’ societies, which had long been defunct, were liquidated. Wool and Mohair Marketing Societies continued to dominate the field. They experienced a rather disappointing wool season during 1952-53 and their exports declined by 38 per cent. Their 1953 mohair exports, however, were up by 46 per cent, and the 1953-54 wool season promises to be better than the previous one. It seems, therefore, that last season’s decline in wool exports was a temporary set-back. Consumers’ Societies showed a modest, but significant improvement in spite of their decline in numbers. Of those remaining, four are firmly established, and two others show promise that they will flourish one day. The turnover for all consumers’ societies during the financial year 1st October, 1952, to 30th September, 1953, was £6,747, compared with £3,750 for the eighteen month period 1st April 1951, to 30th September, 1952. (In 1952 the end of the financial year was changed from 30th March to 30th September.)