Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research, volume 38 issue 4 (december 2019) : 273-280

Marketing and Production Constraints of Dairy Goat Farmers in Limpopo Province of South Africa

L.M. Maesela, V.M.O. Okoro, C.A. Mbajiorgu
1Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa.
Cite article:- Maesela L.M., Okoro V.M.O., Mbajiorgu C.A. (2019). Marketing and Production Constraints of Dairy Goat Farmers in Limpopo Province of South Africa. Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research. 38(4): 273-280. doi: 10.18805/ajdfr.DR-151.
This study was conducted to understand the constraints faced by rural dairy goat farmers holistically in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Since goat production for milk is common in the study area, this study was conducted to assess the constraints (production and marketing) faced by the farmers and possibly offer solutions. A sample of 110 rural household dairy-goat farmers were randomly selected from ten villages of Sekhukhune District of the Province. Descriptive statistics and Probit regression model were used to analyse the data. The results revealed that majority of the farmers were female and were between middle and old aged.  Most of them were married with secondary education being the highest educational level attained. They mostly keep an average of 4 goats per household, with social grant being their major source of income. Probit analysis revealed that safety of dairy goat and grazing pastures (Pr<0.025 and P<0.031 respectively) were major constraints of dairy goat production while breed improvement and milk processing (Pr<0.0001 and Pr<0.0001 respectively) were major constraints of goat milk marketing faced by rural household dairy goat farmers. Farmers were willing to enhance their dairy goat production for sustainable milk production if security of their animals and grazing pastures could be improved upon. Also advanced breed improvement and milk processing techniques if provided by government would greatly increase the production of the dairy goat milk in the study area. 
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