Abstract
This study examined the role of the state in providing veterinary services to resource-poor stock farmers. Communal stock farmers in most rural areas have low incomes and generally poor access to commercial veterinary healthcare. The state veterinary services thus offer a means for stock farmers to maintain the health of their livestock and receive information on animal healthcare. Interviews and participant observation were used to collect data about animal healthcare practices in Hertzog, a village in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.The findings were that the state played an important role in animal healthcare and in the education of farmers. However, the lack of a skilled workforce was a constraint to effective service delivery, whilst veterinary educational institutions that disseminate information to the stock farmers were not utilised. It is thus important to fully utilise training centres to educate stock farmers and for more incentives to be given to state employees, so as to attract the necessary skilled personnel to improve service delivery.
Highlights
In South Africa, through the Department of Agriculture1, the state provides veterinary services to stock farmers
Resourcepoor stock farmers in rural areas are highly dependent on state veterinary services due to their low incomes, the high cost of veterinary medicines and private services, as well as their limited understanding of animal healthcare
The present study examines the role of the state in providing veterinary services and animal healthcare to resource-poor stock farmers in rural areas
Summary
Resourcepoor stock farmers in rural areas are highly dependent on state veterinary services due to their low incomes, the high cost of veterinary medicines and private services, as well as their limited understanding of animal healthcare Within this context, the present study examines the role of the state in providing veterinary services and animal healthcare to resource-poor stock farmers in rural areas. The present study is based on research undertaken in the small rural village of Hertzog in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It outlines the background of veterinary services and veterinary legislation in South Africa. The present study can be used to better understand the role of the South African state services in regard to stock farming in Hertzog, as it is assumed that the stock farmers’ situations and experiences are similar to other resource-poor farmers in the country
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