Insights on the socioeconomic characteristics, production systems and constraints confronted by communal and smallholder sheep farmers in Limpopo Province, South Africa
2025
Lesego Motshekga | Kingsley Ayisi | Johannes Isselstein | Simbarashe Ndleve
The opportunity of sheep reared by communal and smallholder farmers to contribute to the growth of the livestock industry in South Africa is untapped. This study aimed to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of these sheep producers, identify their production systems, and describe the constraints that impede the productive expansion of these sheep farming systems in Limpopo Province. The data were collected from one hundred and twenty sheep farmers using a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed that in communal and smallholder sheep systems, there were more male than female farmers (78%), 48% were over the age of 60, 37% and 43% had secondary and tertiary degrees, 74% were full-time sheep farmers and 69% had 10 years or less of sheep farming experience. The flocks sizes differed significantly (P ≤ 0.01) within the production systems, with average sizes of 25 and 63 under the communal and smallholder systems, respectively. Indigenous crossbreeds were the common breed reared under an extensive system, with only 14% of communal farmers rearing pure breeds under an intensive system. The problem confrontation index indicated that feed shortages, diseases, predation, lack of technical knowledge and stock theft were the top five production constraints in these production systems. The study confirmed the need to develop support programs which will mitigate these constraints and improve productivity.
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