- Title
- Perceptions and practices of small-scale piggery farmers towards animal welfare in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole
- Creator
- Maqhajana, Mzwanele
- Subject
- Animal welfare -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Subject
- Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Date Issued
- 2016
- Date
- 2016
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MTech
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8079
- Identifier
- vital:24719
- Description
- There has been an increasing concern about animal welfare in small-scale farming as the farmers' agricultural practices shift towards intensive agriculture. It has become important to comprehend how small-scale farmers perceive and practice animal welfare relative to production and market integration. To solve the research problem, the research emphasis was on assessing the following practices; procedures adopted by the small-scale farmers, welfare levels verses industry equirements for market integration; determinants affecting small-scale perceptions and attitudes towards animal welfare and how has animal welfare affected farm development and production. The research focus for this study was to investigate the linkage between perceptions and this process. In order to achieve a more in-depth understanding of the study while also ensuring its validity and correctness a triangulation research method was applied, which consisted of a quantitative and qualitative method approach. The focus groups and structured research interview questions were used as the main data collections instruments. The study consisted of sixty-two piggery small-scale farmers from three areas of the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole. The study found that there was a disparity between the perceptions and practice of small-scale farmers. Farmers perceived their practices as acceptable. However, on most of the farms the pigs were farmed in an unhygienic environment, had limited handling facilities, the farmers had unconventional methods to handle the pigs; there was poor support from technical services, many of the farmers never administered animal welfare evaluations and applied questionable feeding practices. The study also indicated that less than 15% had suitable facilities to accommodate suitable reproduction and piglet care. The researcher recommended the following interventions to improve animal welfare approaches with small-scale farmers in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole: Training and information campaigns to improve small-scale piggery farmers' perception and knowledge of animal welfare, as well as market standards and requirements. Strengthening the relationship between the small-scale piggery farmers and animal welfare stakeholders. Including active engagement between small scale piggery farmers and the Department of Rural Development, Agrarian Reform and Urban Agriculture Unit of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. Encouraging farmers to strive for stronger markets to facilitate better income and care of animals.
- Format
- xiii, 110 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
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