Animal husbandry in Moretele 1 of North-West Province: implications for veterinary training and research

Little is known regarding the keeping of animals in the Moretele 1 area of North-West Province, South Africa. Therefore, the status and dynamics of animal husbandry, as well as a general assessment of the needs of animal owners in this area were researched. Results of the investigation will be used to make recommendations for improved veterinary extension servicing in the area. Semi-structured interviews, based on discussions with relevant stakeholders in the community and a resultant problem conceptualisation, were undertaken at 266 randomly selected households in 51 villages and centres in the area, after which the data was checked and verified before being captured and analysed. The findings reveal that within the field of veterinary extension delivery: 1) there is a demand for visual and written extension material, 2) the extension services must function where clients reside, 3) limitations in terms of infrastructure are present and should be addressed through partnerships and coordination amongst all the role-players in the Moretele 1 area, and 4) cattle and poultry are the most important of the animal species and should be the focus points of extension, but the need to curb zoonotic disease should not be disregarded. In this regard veterinary clinics, private veterinarians and other role-players should be used in partnership with extension workers. Lastly, the veterinary clinic is regarded as helpful in many respects by the community consulted and the service should be upgraded and made available to a wider client base, especially where private and state veterinarians are unavailable or too expensive in such resource-limited communities.