Abstract

Goats are an important part of the livestock industry of Swaziland. However, unlike cattle, they have rarely been the subject of research. Traditional husbandry systems are largely undocumented. Production constraints and opportunities for overcoming them have not been studied. The purpose of this project is to investigate traditional goat production systems in order to identify social and technical constraints and develop improved management packages.

Post-Project Summary

Researchers conducted a survey of 160 goat owners in four administrative regions to obtain an overview of the socioeconomic aspect of traditional goat production; the characteristics of the production systems; and problems and prospects of keeping goats under such systems. On-farm trials were then conducted over a two-year period. For the first six months, 51 goat flocks were involved in the study; for the remaining time, eight flocks were monitored. Researchers found that the majority of the respondents owned 20 or fewer goats; and that they were generally acquired through inheritance or breeding. Income derived from goat production went toward household needs; medical expenses; food; and educational costs. No centralized marketing system for goats existed, as it did for cattle. It was noted that the project collected socioeconomic and production systems data for future research and development of the small ruminant sector. The objective to prepare an improved management practices package was not met.

Recipient Institution(s)