The impact of primary animal health care training on cattle management and market confidence in Capricorn District, Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract

Abstract Background: Cattle and other livestock are significant in livelihoods and household economics, and food security of rural dwellers. Despite these significant roles, small scale and rural farmers continue to face persistent challenges that hinder optimal cattle health and productivity. Issues such as poor access to veterinary services, inadequate knowledge of animal health management, low adoption of improved husbandry practices, and limited agricultural extension services negatively impact production and productivity. Training and extension services are critical for improving livestock outcomes; however, it is unclear whether livestock extension service in Capricorn District and elsewhere in South Africa are impactful. Aim: This research aimed to evaluate the impact of the Afrivet Primary Animal Health Care (PAHC) training and extension model on selected management and production parameters, and marketing in cattle owned by small-scale and rural farmers in Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, the immediate outcomes of the Afrivet Primary Animal Health Care (PAHC) training model were evaluated by comparing selected relevant indicators before and after the training implementation among the smallholder livestock farmers in Capricorn District, Limpopo Province. Farmers were selected by simple random assignment from prepopulated lists with the assistance of a random number generator. Four municipalities were selected and participants were allocated through proportional representation. Awareness creation, stakeholders’ engagement and demonstrations were conducted to familiarise farmers, and these were followed by targeted Afrivet PAHC trainings. Production, economic and health parameters were collected over 17 months and compared and contrasted for skills, knowledge, farm practices and other variables. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: Four municipalities and nine villages were studied, and the majority of smallholder farmers were above 50 years with low literacy level. Livestock, especially cattle, serve multiple purposes and are rarely sold, except in emergencies or during critical needs. The out-of-hand transactional sale, followed by auction markets, were the popular forms of sale among smallholder farmers. Farmers hardly adopt farm adaptive programmes, technologies and practices that could improve their productivity and livelihoods, and 85% will do nothing even in livestock emergencies like ill health, and only 15% will call an animal health technician or a veterinarian. Following Afrivet PAHC training, mortality rates were significantly reduced, and participants gained significant knowledge and skills in defining PAHC and understanding the role of the veterinary professional. Significant increase was observed in the identification of disjointed cattle body parts, signs of health and listing specific causes of diseases. More importantly, farmers gained considerable confidence in the ability to sell livestock at auction, butchery, and at the feedlot market. No significant difference was observed in the ability to sell livestock at out-of-hand sale and at official abattoir. Response to livestock vaccination has been overwhelming in recent times, especially against anthrax and black quarter diseases. Syndrome-wise, farmers frequently reported ticks, nasal discharge, and diarrhea, occasionally reported skin problems, and moderately or less frequently reported other syndromes. Conclusion: Intensive Afrivet PAHC extension and training model was beneficial to smallholder livestock (cattle) farmers in Capricorn District, Limpopo Province, South Africa as it boosted farmers confidence in exploring new market channels for livestock offtake. The provincial and national veterinary authorities should create incentives that convert boosted confidence into concrete actions, and eliminate bottlenecks associated with infrastructural, logistics and institutional challenges. The low level of literacy and reluctance to act in the event of disease outbreaks, as well as the unwillingness to adopt new, easy-to-implement farm-level technologies and good farming practices, along with socio-demographic and economic barriers, will continue to hinder optimized productivity and production. These gaps must be bridged using a flexible, inclusive model that can incorporate feedback to continually improve the Afrivet PAHC training and extension model, mitigate identified constraints, and utilise enablers as low-hanging fruits to catalyse adoption and upscale smallholder farmers' livelihoods.