Analysis of goat production and marketing among smallholder farmers Zambia

Abstract

Livestock is one of the fastest growing sectors in most developing countries and has been undergoing what has been termed as a Livestock Revolution (Delgado, 2003). The rapid population growth and urbanization coupled with emerging evidence of income growth in developing countries especially in Africa have resulted in a rapid increase in demand for livestock products, and this is expected to continue in the future. These broad demographic and economic trends are creating new and expanding market opportunities for smallholder livestock producers to invest in. This study looks at goat production and marketing in Zambia smallholder farmers. The ability of goats to utilize a broad range of feed resources and adapt to marginal conditions presents an opportunity for income generation among the poor rural households. The study addressed the factors influencing the choice of the marketing channel as well as the socio-economic characteristics affecting the herd size of goats among smallholder farmers. The results show that the choice of the marketing channel used is influenced by the herd size of the animals, the gender of the decision maker, transaction costs as well as the geographical location. The choice of the marketing channel used by the farmer has a bearing on the price received as well as profits. Herd size on the other hand is influenced by the age of the household head, household size, management practices, landholding size as well as off-farm income. Formation of livestock marketing groups is key in addressing the challenge of small herd sizes and high transaction costs.