Market Analysis of Smallholder Goat Enterprise under Tropical Conditions

Abstract

Though smallholder goat enterprise has been a major source of livelihood in most African communities for ages, yet little efforts exist to explore its full potential through commercialization. While much has been done to improve agricultural production in the small-scale sector, little is known and documented about the current state of goat production and marketing in most parts of Nigeria. Using proportionate sampling, data were collected from 160 smallholder goat producers and 220 consumers making a total of 380 respondents for the study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, budgetary analyses, multiple regression and Likert Scale Technique. The study showed that smallholder goat enterprise was female-dominated with majority aged between 51 -60 years. The average cost, average revenue and gross margin per production season were ₦12,471.78, ₦16,755.51 and ₦4,904.61, respectively. The farmers realized ₦430.20, ₦450.80, ₦252.00 and ₦363.50 on a kilogram of buck, doe, male and female kids, respectively. Smallholder goat enterprise was profitable in the study area because the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) showed that every ₦100 invested per goat yielded ₦34.00 more and above the money invested. The multiple regression model analysis showed that management practice (P < 0.01), gender (P < 0.1), age of cost of medication (P < 0.01) and flock size (P < 0.05) significantly influence the profitability of smallholder goat production in the study area. The result of Likert's scale indicated that 66.8 % of the consumers preferred goat meat to other meats because of its availability (56.8 %) and taste (22.3 %). Therefore, it is recommended that efforts should be put into commercializing goat enterprise in the tropics using the intensive system.

The Potential of Goat Meat in the Red Meat Industry

“…The localized informal chevon markets are typified and driven by traders who link mostly butchers to producers. In addition to the unavailability of formalized marketing for goats and chevon, the lack of a product grading system, poor quality product, seasonality of demand, inconsistent product supply and negative consumer attitudes, and insufficient research to identify a new market and expand existing markets [38,39] compound the challenges faced by both goat producers and consumers of chevon.…”

The Effect of Gender on the Commercialisation of Goat Production in the Semi-arid Area of Msinga, South Africa

“…In most African countries, small-scale goat farming is a major source of livelihoods and has potential to contribute to household food security, yet little effort has been made to explore its full potential through commercialisation (Yesufu et al, 2017). Despite the benefits of goat keeping (Koluman and Silanikove, 2018), their productivity and offtake remain low (van Rooyen and Moyo, 2007) and hinder attempts of commercialisation.…”

Why Goat Farming in Northern Communal Areas of Namibia Is not Commercialised: The Case of Ogongo Constituency

“…Namibia has only 1 968 513 which is only 0.5% of the African goat population (FAO, 2015). The production of goats is mostly dependent on natural pasture as they are browsers that feed mostly on shrubs and tree leaves in adverse environments (Dube, Chakoma, & Bahta, 2017;Yesufu, Kassali, Aremu, & Ojo, 2017). Goats can also be utilised to control bush encroachment, as a result unwanted weeds can be reduced and promote the retention of the indigenous grasses (Solaiman, 2007).Thus goats have the ability to be raised successfully under diverse and harsh agro-ecological conditions with poor vegetation found in mountains, deserts and semi-arid regions because they are more resistant to drought because of their unique biological and physiological features (Al-Khaza'leh, Raber, Ogutu, & Valle-Zarate, 2016;Yesufu, Kassali, Aremu, & Ojo, 2017).…”