Constraints to the sustainability of a 'systematised' approach to livestock marketing amongst smallholder cattle producers in South Africa

Commercialization of smallholder agriculture in South Africa is underpinned by reforms to improve livestock off-take in communal areas and engage smallholder farmers with formal markets. To achieve this, Custom Feeding Programmes (CFPs) were established to improve the condition of communal cattle pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of agricultural sustainability 2019-03, Vol.17 (2), p.189-204
Main Authors: Gwiriri, Lovemore C., Bennett, James, Mapiye, Cletos, Marandure, Tawanda, Burbi, Sara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cattle
Cattle production
Commercialization
Community involvement
Community participation
custom feeding programme
livelihoods
Livestock
Marketing
Markets
Pricing
Small farms
Smallholder livestock marketing
South Africa
Sustainability
Water supply
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Summary:Commercialization of smallholder agriculture in South Africa is underpinned by reforms to improve livestock off-take in communal areas and engage smallholder farmers with formal markets. To achieve this, Custom Feeding Programmes (CFPs) were established to improve the condition of communal cattle prior to their sale into formal markets and to 'systematise' the informal marketing of cattle in communal areas by enabling participants to achieve higher informal market prices. We evaluate the sustainability of eight CFPs located in Eastern Cape Province in terms of their ability to add value to smallholder cattle production and encourage market participation. Communities with CFPs achieved a 16.6% mean cattle off-take rate, substantially higher than in most communal systems. Furthermore, cattle sold through CFPs attained a 17% higher mean selling price than those sold through other marketing channels. However, these benefits were mainly realized by better-off farmers with larger cattle herds and greater ability to transport animals to and from CFPs. More marginalized farmers, particularly women, had low participation. CFPs also face challenges to their sustainability, including inconsistent feed and water supplies, poor infrastructure and high staff turnover. Key to enhancing participation in CFPs, will be improving the way they are supported and embedded within communities.
ISSN:1473-5903
1747-762X
DOI:10.1080/14735903.2019.1591658