Smallholder Goat Production in Southern Africa: A Review

Abstract

Goats play a crucial role in improved livelihoods and food security in Africa. Indigenous and locally developed types exhibit a wide range of phenotypic diversity, but are commonly well adapted to the harsh environment in which they need to survive and produce. They have various functions in communities in developing countries, from providing food security to being a liquid form of cash and playing a role in ceremonial occasions. The Southern African goat population exceeds 35 million animals, most of which are kept in small-scale traditional production systems in communal areas. These traditional production systems are characterised by informal, lowly-skilled labour, small numbers of animals and limited resources. Most goats are part of mixed crop-livestock systems, where different livestock species and crop farming compliment one another. The productivity and offtake from these animals are relatively low. Some goats form part of agropastoral production systems, with marginally higher management and resource inputs. Both of these systems are dependent on a high degree of variability where the keepers/farmers can exploit various resources as and when necessary. Goats possess a range of adaptive mechanisms that enable them to deal with harsh and challenging environments, making them the ideal species for use in these production systems. This chapter aims to provide background information on the current smallholder management practices of goat keepers in Southern Africa.