The economy of Lesotho has developed considerably due to the contributions from Lesotho Industry. The mission that has been set up by the Ministry of Trade and Industry is to generate more revenue and enable settings for industrial, commercial and agri-business expansion.
Lesotho has extensive range of light industries that consist of tapestry weaving, tire remodeling, production of textiles and diamond processing. In Lesotho, production of candles, shoes, ceramics, electric lighting, fertilizers, explosives and furniture takes place. During the period of 1980s, industrial development was promoted in Lesotho by the Lesotho National Development Corporation to provide a boost to the production of fruits, beer, vegetables, wire, steel and parachutes.
There has been instances of immense growth in the manufacturing sector of Lesotho in recent times. Manufacturing in the country largely depends on the agricultural inputs to support canning, milling, jute and leather industries.
Workers in Lesotho's garment factories are staying healthy thanks to a HIV programme supported by DFID.
More than 40,000 people in the landlocked southern African country are employed in the garments industry, which every year produces millions of t-shirts, jeans and other high street staples for sale around the world.
These items are Lesotho's biggest earning exports, and business appears to be booming. Yet in the country's garments factories there is a health challenge that, as well as having a huge human cost, could stand in the way of the ongoing growth of the garments sector: the massive prevalence of HIV infection - more than 40% - among workers
