Factors influencing off-take rates of smallholder sheep farming systems in the Western Cape Provinve of South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine off-take rates in smallholder sheep farming systems in the Western Cape province of South Africa. A purposeful sampling technique was used where smallholder farmers were selected based on certain criteria. The criterion set out was that farmers must own between five and 100 sheep. Interviews were conducted with 72 smallholder farmers in three districts, namely the West Coast, Karoo and Eden. General information on the socioeconomic status of the farmers was obtained through semi-structured questionnaires. The main sources of income for the Karoo farmers was livestock (46%) and crops for Eden (32%). Farmers in the West Coast area mostly relied on salaries (43%), thus off-farm income. The Karoo district sold a higher average number of lambs per year (41 ± 8.8), with West Coast and Eden selling the same average number of lambs per year at 7 ± 2.2 and 7 ± 2.6 respectively. Overall, the income derived from livestock is low and not economically sustainable. Therefore, different strategies (such as access to market, financial assistance, improved animal nutrition and health management, as well as sound breeding plans) should be employed to assist smallholder livestock farmers to increase off-take rates.

An Update on South African Indigenous Sheep Breeds’ Extinction Status and Difficulties during Conservation Attempts: A Review

“…The reason behind such differences is not well understood but might be due to the discriminable crossbred that South African indigenous breeds suffered long ago before proper characterization. Noteworthy, this breed is reported at risk of extinction [4,16]. As a result, many institutions, such as the Agricultural Research Council Irene and Johannesburg Zoo, are conserving BaPedi sheep with the principal aim to increase its population in a controlled environment and make sure that their gene does not disappear.…”

“…Damara sheep is found in the Northern Cape province, which is the driest part of South Africa [4]. This breed is characterized by its long horns, fat tail, and rump [4].…”

“…The effective population size of some is known, and some are not known (Table 2) [16]. This emphasizes the lack of reporting to DAD-IS or FAO in developing countries, hindering conservation programs of these breeds [4]. Kunene et al [31] reported a serious extinction threat of Zulu sheep.…”

“…Small ruminants (sheep and goats) play an essential role in the global food and wool production in developing countries affected by harsh climate change [1]. Indigenous sheep require less veterinary service and feed and are tolerant to harsh environmental conditions [2][3][4]. South Africa is home to several indigenous sheep breeds such as Namaqua Afrikaner, Zulu, BaPedi, and Damara sheep [5].…”

“…However, more than 67% of livestock farmers operate under village production with a lack of resources, veterinary services, and infrastructure [6]. Farmers in this production system prefer indigenous sheep to address food insecurity and poverty; hence, these South African indigenous breeds remain vital [4].…”