Abstract :
A series of studies were conducted, over a 10-year period (1998–2008), in KwaZulu-Natal,
one of the poorest provinces in South Africa, involving on-farm research and extension
and small-scale goat farmers. Initially, two farmers in the Impendle region participated,
followed by nine farmers in Bulwer and latterly, 15 farmers in Bergville. The general aim
was to develop an appropriate approach to improve goat health and productivity in the
areas. A flexible framework for the acquisition of skills and knowledge was developed,
which incorporated the use of the on-farm research project as a training vehicle. The farmers
were trained in basic health care techniques such as drenching, injections and the use
of the FAMACHA© system, a simple method for determining anaemia, a symptom of gastrointestinal
nematode infection. Community-based workshops were used to strengthen
the farmers’ knowledge of animal diseases and their treatment. Extension materials were
developed, including a “Goatkeepers’ Animal Health Care Manual”. The degree to which
these participatory approaches helped increase community awareness of, and ability to deal
with, goat health and management problems was assessed through questionnaire surveys
conducted with participating and non-participating farmers and the general community.
Thisnewframework could equally well be applied more widely and to other agro-ecological
zones.
