Browsing by Author "Marandure, Tawanda"

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    Domestic free-range pig genetic resources in Southern Africa : progress and prospects
    (MDPI, 2020) Halimani, Tinyiko Edward; Mapiye, Obvious; Marandure, Tawanda; Januarie, Diedre; Imbayarwo-Chikosi, Venancio Edward; Dzama, Kennedy
    Pig genetic resources in Africa originate from different regions and were introduced through several migration pathways. Genetic analysis has shown a strong phylogeographic pattern, with pigs on the eastern parts showing a high frequency of alleles from the Far East while the ones on the western parts show a strong European influence. This highlights the influence of trade routes on the genetic legacy of African pigs. They have, however, since adapted to the local environments to produce unique populations with unique attributes. Most of the pigs are now reared in resource-constrained smallholdings under free-range conditions. They are largely owned by women who spread ownership of the resource through kinship networks. Very little work has been done to characterize, conserve, and sustainably utilize pig genetic resources in Southern Africa. The risk status of the breeds together with population numbers, distribution, and other attributes are largely unknown. This paper proposes several strategies for the sustainable utilization of the pig genetic resources: A market-driven in situ conservation program and two complementary ex situ strategies. In addition, the possibility of community-based breed improvement programs is discussed. It was concluded that genetic characterization of domestic free-range pig populations should be a supreme priority.
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    Genetic traits of relevance to sustainability of smallholder sheep farming systems in South Africa
    (MDPI, 2017) Molotsi, Annelin; Dube, Bekezela; Oosting, Simon; Marandure, Tawanda; Mapiye, Cletos; Cloete, Schalk; Dzama, Kennedy
    Sustainable livestock production is important to ensure continuous availability of resources for future generations. Most smallholder livestock farming systems in developing countries have been perceived to be environmentally, socially and economically unsustainable. Farming with livestock that is robust and adaptable to harsh environments is important in developing countries especially in semi-arid and arid environments. This review discusses the different sheep farming systems employed by smallholder farmers and associated sustainability problems facing them. The review also gives an overview of sustainability indicators and limitations to the sustainability for the different smallholder sheep production systems in South Africa. It is argued that genetic diversity is important for sustainability and needs to be maintained in sheep for sustainable production and reproduction performance. The application of traditional breeding and genomics to ensure sustainable production is explored. Animal breeding approaches, specifically genomics can be applied to improve areas of environmental sustainability of smallholder sheep farming systems but must be targeted to the specific production environments, challenges, and opportunities of smallholder production. The genetic traits important for sustainability, the role of genomics in improving these traits and linking these genetic traits to different farming systems in South Africa are discussed.
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    Smallholder sheep farmers’ perceived impact of water scarcity in the dry ecozones of South Africa: determinants and response strategies
    (Elsevier B.V., 2021-09) Halimani, Twanani; Marandure, Tawanda; Chikwanha, Obert C.; Molotsi, Annelin H.; Abiodun, Babatunde J.; Dzama, Kennedy; Mapiye, Cletos
    Water scarcity is amongst the major challenges threatening smallholder sheep production in subsistence-oriented communal farms in dryland areas. Local contextual factors are a prerequisite for effective policy development and optimisation of water resources management for smallholder sheep production. Two-hundred and fifty-two structured questionnaires were administered to investigate the contextual factors that influence smallholder farmers’ perceived impact of water scarcity on sheep production in the dry ecozones of the Cape provinces in South Africa and identify their local response strategies. Logit regression findings showed that a unit increase in private commercially-oriented arid farms, males, education level, flock size, adapted breeds and income from livestock increased farmers’ probability to perceive impact of water scarcity on sheep production. Regardless of ecozone and farm types, sheep farmers switched between water sources, provided supplementary feed and shade, used adapted breeds and alternative markets to manage the impact of water scarcity. Interventions to build resilience to water scarcity in the surveyed areas should target sheep farmers with low adaptive capacity, particularly less educated women relying on livestock income and farming with non-adapted breeds on subsistence-oriented communal farms in the semiarid ecozone.
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    Sustainability of smallholder cattle production and its vertical integration into the formal beef market value chain in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-12) Marandure, Tawanda; Mapiye, Cletos; Dzama, Kennedy; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Animal Sciences.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A survey to assess the sustainability and marketing opportunities for smallholder cattle production systems was conducted by consulting with a total of 95 smallholder cattle producers in Ncorha and Gxwalibomvu communities in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) of South Africa. In addition, a total of 18 surrounding beef retailers, 5 abattoirs that supplied beef to these retailers and 155 beef consumers who bought beef from these retailers between February 2013 and February 2014 were also interviewed using pretested structured questionnaires. The surveys established the perception of beef traders and consumers on the development of a Natural beef (NB) brand and indicated the willingness of participants to support the development of a NB brand. The results indicated that a smallholder beef cattle production system was socially and environmentally conditionally sustainable but economically not sustainable. Overall, the system was conditionally sustainable. Cattle herd size was bigger in Ncorha than in Gxwalibomvu (13.7±1.9 vs. 11.3 ± 1.9 heads of cattle, respectively). Smallholder producers from both sites sold an average of two cattle per year. Young farmers (<40 years old), Christians and small households (<5 members) had a greater potential to sell cattle than adults (>40 years old), traditionalists and larger households (>5 members). Similarly, households with access to extension services, owners of smaller cattle herds (<10 cattle) and from a lower income bracket (
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    System dynamics approach to sustainability evaluation of the lowinput ruminant farming system in South Africa by
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Marandure, Tawanda; Mapiye, Cletos; Dzama, Kennedy; Makombe, Godswill; Hoffmann, Willem H.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Animal Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study evaluated the sustainability of the rural and peri-urban low-input ruminant farming system in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) of South Africa, by using a system dynamics modelling approach. A conceptual framework incorporating unique characteristics of low-input ruminant farming including multiple roles of the animals and credence value attributes of grazing systems respectively was developed, and guidelines for the application of the framework were provided. Surveys using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted in four rural and three peri-urban communities in the ECP, respectively, to determine the perceptions of ruminant farmers about the sustainability concept and challenges of sustainable ruminant farming. A meta- analysis was subsequently conducted to record low-input farmer challenges from studies conducted in Africa. An ordered logistic regression model was used to determine socio- economic factors influencing the perceptions of low-input farmers on selected ruminant farming practices. A system dynamics model was developed to simulate the rural and peri-urban low- input ruminant farming system scenarios. Output from the simulation was used to calculate indices that were ultimately used to evaluate the sustainability of the rural and peri-urban low input ruminant farming system. The surveys indicated that more than 70% of the low-input ruminant farmers were not aware of the sustainability concept. Rural and peri-urban farmers also had a negative perception of rangeland, breeding, livestock security and marketing management practices, respectively. The same farmers had positive perceptions on socio-cultural, family health and education practices, respectively. According to the ordered logit results, key factors driving farmer perceptions on sustainable ruminant farming practices were location, age, gender and employment status. Full-time and peri-urban farmers were more likely to perceive decreases in sustainable water management practices than part-time and rural farmers. Full-time, when compared to part-time farmers, were more likely to perceive decreases in sustainable ruminant production and rangeland management practices. The likelihood of the youth to perceive increases in sustainable rangeland and crop residue management practices was greater than that of adults. Males were more likely to perceive a decrease in sustainable animal health care and breeding practices than females. Prominent ecological and economic indicators derived from farmer challenges included soil fertility and biomass supply, as well as livestock productivity, animal health, and provision of labour. Farmer training and women involvement in ruminant farming were the prominent social indicators derived when the challenges experienced by the farmers were considered. The rural and peri-urban low-input ruminant farming system in the ECP was deemed ecologically unsustainable, and economically and socially moderately sustainable. Overall, the rural and peri-urban low-input ruminant farming system in the ECP system was moderately sustainable. It was recommended that the framework developed in this study is applied to other low-input ruminant farming communities in the region and in Africa to test its universality.