ACTIVITY SYSTEMS AND LIVELIHOODS IN EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE RURAL AREAS (TRANSKEI): HOUSEHOLD TYPOLOGIES AS SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO A LANDCARE PROJECT

Consumer/Household Economics,

Contribution of draft cattle to rural livelihoods in a district of southeastern Uganda endemic for bovine parasitic diseases: an economic evaluation

BACKGROUND: A study was conducted in Tororo District in eastern Uganda to assess the socio-economic contribution of draft cattle to rural livelihoods. The aim of the study was to empirically quantify the economic value of draft cattle thus contributing to understanding the impact of endemic parasitic diseases of cattle on livestock productivity and subsequently household income, labor and food security. METHOD: A total of 205 draft cattle keeping households (n = 205) were randomly selected and structured household questionnaires were administered, focusing on work oxen use, productivity, inputs and outputs. The data obtained was analyzed using standard statistical methods and used to calculate the gross margin from the draft cattle enterprise. Secondary data were obtained from focus group discussions and key informant interviews and these were analyzed using Bayesian methods. RESULTS: The study showed that, apart from being labor saving, the use of animal traction is highly profitable with the gross margin per year from the use of draft cattle amounting to 245 United States dollars per work oxen owning household. The cash obtained from hiring out draft animals was equivalent to nearly a quarter of the average local household’s monetary receipts. It also revealed that endemic bovine parasitic diseases such as trypanosomiasis and tick-borne diseases reduced draft cattle output by 20.9 % and potential household income from the use of draft oxen by 32.2 %. CONCLUSION: The presence of endemic cattle diseases in rural Uganda is adversely affecting the productivity of draft cattle, which in turn affects household income, labor and ultimately food security. This study highlights the contribution of draft cattle to rural livelihoods, thus increasing the expected impact of cost-effective control strategies of endemic production limiting livestock diseases in Uganda

Socio-economic impact analysis of livestock disease control programmes with special reference to ticks and tick-borne diseases.

The outbreak of East Coast fever in the beginning of the century lead to the introduction of the plunge dip system to control the disease. This approach focused on eradicating the vectors (i .e. ticks) that transmitted the disease. The successful eradication of the disease in 1954 was mainly through the intensive use of acaricides. The fundamental objectives of this study is to detennine whether there is continued justification for controlling ticks and tick-borne diseases through dipping, as well as identifying the impact of tick control to the rural household. The study was conducted in two veterinary zones located in the Venda region of the Northern Province, namely the Yellow Line and the Open area. A sample of 125 respondents was taken from livestock fanners in the selected areas within the aforementioned zones. Data was accumulated by the use of a structured questionnaire, observations, as well as discussions with fanners. III Cattle dipping is perfonned to achieve both the economic, cultural and the social role with the majority of respondents (97%) fanning with cattle both for commercial and subsistence purposes. The value of cattle has been estimated to be Rl 152. A number of criteria have been used to estimate this value. These are the value of sales, milk, draught power and manure, and are quantified using the replacement value method. Eleven percent of the respondents expressed some dissatisfaction with the classical tick control method (plunge dip). The development of tick resistance to successive acaricide compounds is a major problem stated by 79% of the dissatisfied fanners . As a result, most of the respondents (61 %) supplement dipping with either modem or traditional tick control measures such as hand picking. The surveys amongst rural households show a 3% mortality rate in spite of the existence of the programme. It is estimated that the mortality rate would have been 4% without the control programme. Cost-benefit analysis revealed a benefit-cost ratio of 0.8 (i.e.<l) indicating that the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases by the government is not economically justified. However, because of the economic nature of the service it provides (public good), the dipping of cattle still deserves government support. In addition, the provision of tick control services by the government leads to a socially optimal level of supply. The sensitivity analysis gives the benefit-cost ratio of 1.2 when the mortality rate is assumed to would have been 10% without the control programme. The results of both the logistic regression model and the multivariate regression analysis revealed that the structure of production (e.g. breed of cattle kept), as well as human resource factors (e.g. educational qualification) influences the demand for tick control service and fanners' willingness-to-pay for such a service significantly. In addition, there is also a slight indication of regional differences with regard to the demand for dipping and willingness-to-pay for the service by fanners. The manner in which cattle dipping should be continued by the government, however, needs some alterations. The currently envisioned tick control strategy is based on integrated tick management system where acaricides will be strategically applied. This IV strategy will reduce the costs of tick control thereby improving the benefit-cost ratio. However, there is no easy and straightforward solution on the frequency of cattle dipping. A multi-disciplinary study needs to be conducted to ensure an optimal tick control strategy compatible with the needs of the resource poor farmers.

Profitability analysis of cotton production in Moutse and Nkomazi, Mpumalanga Province

Paper presented at the HSRC winter conference, Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre, Boksburg, 27-28 Jul

The economics of tick-borne disease control in the former Venda region of the Limpopo province

Commissioned by the Provincial Government of the Limpopo Provinc

Commercialisation of small scale agriculture in developing countries: literature review

Paper presented at the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 5 Septembe

Pilot study on the socio-economic impacts of disasters South Africa (1994-2004)

Commissioned by the Department of Provincial and Local Governmen

Integration of small-scale cotton producers into the South African commercial agricultural economy

Paper presented at the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 5 Septembe