Responses to climate variability of the livestock sector in the north-west province, South Africa

Responses to climate variability of the livestock sector in the north-west province, South Africa

Hudson, Jerry Wayne

Livestock -- South Africa

Drought forecasting -- South Africa

xi, 154 p.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 128-138)

The goal of this study is to compare management drought strategies, including the use of climate forecasts, of livestock farmers in commercial areas with livestock farmers in adjacent communal areas within the western region of the North-West Province of the Republic of South Africa. In this rural semi-arid to arid region of the southern Kalahari, the majority of people make their living from animal production. It is shown that commercial farmers have a greater number of strategic options and greater accessibility to natural and human resources including pasture lands, water, and information. This research demonstrates that in this relatively homogeneous ecological setting, farmers’ animal management responses to drought and use of climate forecasts are highly variable due to human factors such as culture, production goals, history, government policy, and market constraints. A human ecological framework is used to explain research findings and examine results within existing ecological, economic, ethnic, and historical constraints faced by local populations.

Colorado State University. Libraries

2002

Text ; Still Image

application/pdf

ETDF2002100001ANPO

2002_summer_Hudson.pdf

eng

English

Copyright of original work is retained by author.