Abstract
This study address historical legacy of South Africa that has dual economies resembling low and high income beef sectors. Low-income herds are farmed mainly under communal village or land reform farms. The study focused on providing assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) to the low-income sector including finding challenges to its implementation and adoption. The study was conducted in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces using mixed methods that looked at cows and sectors stakeholders. Data collected and evaluated on cows included breed type, frame size, body condition, age parity, and lactation status. Cows were exposed to ART through synchronisation, oestrus detection, fixed time artificial insemination and pregnancy diagnosis. Qualitative data was collected to study perception of key stakeholders on ART implementation and adoption. Chi-Square Test was computed to determine the association among cow factors. Qualitative data was collected, coded and managed into themes using Nvivo Version 11. Themes that emerged were interpreted using critical social and systems thinking. Conception rate was not independent of provinces (P < 0.05), cow body condition score (BCS) and body frame size. KwaZulu-Natal cows had the highest conception rate at 66% (P < 0.05) than Limpopo (44%) and Mpumalanga (60%) provinces. Cows with a BCS higher than 3.5 had higher conception rate (P < 0.05) than those with BCS of <2.5 and 3. Interestingly, large framed cow size had higher conception rate than medium and small framed (P < 0.05) cows. The study achieved a 100% calf survival rate. Calving rate was influenced by body BCS, province and district (P < 0.05). Calving rate of 58% in Mpumalanga and 54% in KwaZulu-Natal was higher than that recorded in Limpopo at 36% (P < 0.05). Interestingly, cows with BCS of <2.5 had a higher calving rate than those with a higher body condition score of 3 (P < 0.05). Perception study results revealed many factors that could affect the adoption and implementation of ART in the study areas. The high success rate and above average reproductive performance led to North West and KwaZulu-Natal provinces adopting ART as part of their low-income beef sector support.
Highlights
In South Africa, a dual system exists in terms of the livestock farming sector with a highly commercialised, high income and resourced sector at one end and the low-income to almost subsistence on the other end
The low-income beef sector has a history of being neglected by value chain actors, research agencies, universities, public and non-governmental sectors even though donor organisations had always shown interest and the potential to leverage good livelihoods
The results of this study have demonstrated that village cows, irrespective of the province, breed type, parity level, age, body condition score, frame size, lactation status, and geographic location can be successfully synchronised and artificially inseminated with frozen-thawed semen and conceive
Summary
In South Africa, a dual system exists in terms of the livestock farming sector with a highly commercialised, high income and resourced sector at one end and the low-income to almost subsistence on the other end. The low-income beef sector has a history of being neglected by value chain actors, research agencies, universities, public and non-governmental sectors even though donor organisations had always shown interest and the potential to leverage good livelihoods. The commercial livestock industry is highly sophisticated and implements appropriate technologies to ensure good value for the South African consumers but has been struggling to meet the demand of beef in the country. The low-income beef sector of South Africa, just like in many other Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), still struggles to access inputs and services to drive productivity
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