PART A.

CO NCE P T NO TE
1 .1 .

I NS TRUCTI O NS FO R THE DRAFT I NG O F THE CO NCE P T NO TE

1.1.1. SUMMARY OF THE ACTION

Title of the action:

Improving Goat Production and Developing Organized

Markets for Goats in Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems
in East and Southern Africa

Lot:

Lot 1 - Post-harvest and Agriculture

- Please tick the box corresponding to

the specific lot for which you are
applying:

Lot 2 - Renewable and Sustainable Energy

Location(s) of the action: - specify

country(ies), region(s) that will benefit
from the action

Zimbabwe (Matebeleland South), Uganda (Cattle Corridor

District) and Namibia (Northern Communal Areas)

Total duration of the action (months):

36 Months

Amount of requested EU contribution

Objectives of the action

Target group(s)1

Lot 3 - Water and Sanitation

734 810.57
Overall objective: To improve incomes of goat farmers in
integrated crop-livestock systems in Southern and Eastern
Africa.
Specific objectives: 1. To promote the use of locally feed
resources for goats; 2. To increase growth performance and
carcass characteristics of goats; 3. Improve goat productivity
through within-goat-breed selection 4. Improve farmer access
to goat markets; and, 5. Improve dissemination of goat
management information to smallholder farmers
Smallholder farmers, Rural communities, Goat meat
processors, Transporters, Agricultural input providers.

Final beneficiaries2

Smallholder farmers, Consumers, Retailers, Universities,

Governments.

Estimated results

1. Effective and affordable feeding packages for smallholder

goats will be developed; 2. Improved supply of high quality
goat meat (chevon) and products to identifiable niche
markets; 3. Improved productivity of smallholder goats; and,
4. Information and technologies on commercial goat
production disseminated to the smallholder farmers, their
communities and the agricultural extension systems.
The project will: 1. Perform a whole value chain & SWOT
analysis of goat production and marketing systems; 2.
Characterize smallholder goat breeds and select within these
breeds; 3. Carry out surveys on goat feed resources then
develop feedlot diets that promote marketable quality
carcasses; 4. Disseminate research findings to stakeholders;
and 5. Increased access to organized goat markets by
farmers and chevon processors.

Main activities

Target groups are the groups/entities who will be directly positively affected by the action at the action
purpose level.

Final beneficiaries are those who will benefit from the action in the long term at the level of the society or
sector at large.

1.1.2. RELEVANCE OF THE ACTION (MAX 3 PAGES)

1.1.2.1.

Relevance to the objectives/sectors/themes/specific priorities of the

call for proposals

Livestock sales into the mainstream economy from the smallholder farming areas are very low despite a
net deficit of meat and other livestock products in Zimbabwe, Uganda and Namibia. This partnership
intends to draw on lessons from the SNVs (Netherlands Development Organization) goat sales
programmes in the Southern and Eastern African countries and thereby enhance the participation of
smallholder farmers in commercial goat production. This will be achieved through increased sales of good
quality goats and goat products to national, regional and international markets. In addition, the
partnership will evaluate the whole value chain of the smallholder crop - goat enterprises in order to
improve sales through the identification of niche markets for live goats, goat meat (chevon) and
processed products. The value chain analysis approach will also assist in organising farmers to enhance
their household incomes and livelihoods through commercial goat production and marketing. The
improved household incomes of the crop-livestock smallholder farmers will have a catalytic effect on the
performance of other farming activities such as crop production since farmers will now have the capacity
to buy inputs. Increased crop production will result in increased crop residues for utilization by animals.
Thus the proposed research action will have a cross-fertilization impact between crops and livestock.
This action therefore meets the overall objective of the African Union call for proposals that enhance intraregional scientific research collaboration and cooperation that contributes to Africas sustainable
development. The action also falls under the priority sector of Post-harvest and Agriculture focusing on
the issue of the transfer of new innovative technologies on small ruminant production and marketing and
the expected result of Enhanced Food security will also be addressed.
1.1.2.2.

Relevance to the particular needs and constraints of the target

country/countries, region(s) and/or relevant sectors (including synergy with other EU
initiatives and avoidance of duplication)

The African Union Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) lists several key trends and
drivers for the African livestock resources sector (AU-IBAR, 2009). These include the undeveloped
potential of the livestock sector; the potential of livestock production in marginal and hot areas; hurdles to
greater market access; and the renewed interest in agriculture as a tool for poverty reduction and
economic development. The AU-IBAR vision is shared within the Southern Africa Development
Community (SADC) region where enhancing livestock as a tradable and consumable commodity is one of
the targets of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (Hulman, 2009). There are, however,
many deficits in livestock productivity, breeding, marketing, farmer organization, infrastructure and
institutions that hinder progress. Despite Africa producing 20 percent of the worlds chevon, the continent
only contributes less than 5 percent of the worlds export due to several internal and external problems
(Simela and Merkel, 2008). The problems include policy delays, lack of organized animal breeding
programmes, low goat productivity, poor animal health management and lack of access by smallholder
farmers to domestic, regional and international markets. This project proposal is therefore premised on
the recognized need to improve livestock production, harness livestock as key resources for poverty
alleviation and improving livelihoods and develop markets for the neglected but ubiquitous goats that are
widespread across the three project countries (Kosgey and Okeyo, 2007).
Goats offer several advantages over alternative livestock species in marginal production systems. They
are more tolerant to droughts and can utilize a diverse range of feed resources including drought tolerant
vegetation species. During periods of adverse production conditions, goats can recover relatively faster
than cattle when the conditions improve because of their higher reproductive rate and prolificacy. Their
small size makes it easier to match production to available feed resources. Because of this, they are
important in risk mitigation, particularly in drought-prone areas, and in the empowerment of vulnerable
groups.
In Uganda, the population of goats has been increasing over the years from 3.9 million in 1991 to 12 .5
million in 2008 (UBSO, 2009). The goats are owned by 39 percent of the countrys households (2.5 million
households) and 98.6 percent of these goats are indigenous breeds. In Namibia, the goat numbers have
also increased steadily from 1.8 million in 1996 (Sweet and Burke, 2000) to the current figure of 2.1
million animals (Meat Board of Namibia, 2011). The majority of these animals, which are indigenous
breeds (73 percent), are located in the rural areas which occupy 48 percent of the total farming area in
the country. In Zimbabwe, the national goat population currently stands at 4.4 million and 91.5 percent of
these animals which are mostly indigenous breeds are owned by the crop-livestock farmers located in the
communal farming areas (ZIMSTAT, 2010.

In all the three participating countries, the goat owners are mostly crop-livestock farmers and the animals
are raised on natural pastures and are usually supplemented with crop residues. Thus natural pastures
and browse are the predominant forms of fodder for goats for the Namibian rural farmers. However, in the
high rainfall areas of the country, crop residues are an important supplement during the dry season when
natural fodder becomes scarce. UBSO (2009) noted that in the Central Region of Uganda, 68 percent of
the crop-livestock farmers depended solely on natural pastures to feed their goats. This was followed by
the Western Region with 45 percent and Eastern Region with 26 percent of the households. The
remainder of the farmers in these three regions relied on both the natural pastures and agricultural land
for feeding their goats. In Zimbabwe, just as in the other two countries, goat feeding in the rural areas is
based on the communal grazing areas with limited supplementation. However, in the provinces of
Matebeleland North and South, farmers supplement their goats with a variety of feed resources that
include cereal and legume crop residues. Less than 5 percent of the farmers offer their goats commercial
supplements and home mixed diets.
It is clear that in Eastern and Southern Africa goats are mostly raised under extensive production systems
using the natural rangeland pastures as a source of feed. The rangeland resources vary spatially and
temporally resulting in nutritional inadequacies in both quality and quantity especially during the dry
season. In Zimbabwe for example, it has been reported that 93 percent of the farmers experience animal
feed shortages during the dry season (Homann, et al., 2007). The Namibian government, until a few
years ago, used to import fodder from neighbouring countries and provide it at subsidized rates to farmers
during the dry season. The fodder subsidies were terminated in order to encourage farmers to build their
own fodder reserves and this has not improved the dry season supply of feed (NDTF, 1997). The
inadequate availability of feed resources especially during the dry season has been a major constraint to
goat production in Eastern and Southern Africa for a long time (Devendra and Mcleroy, 1985) and climate
change is going to worsen the situation. It is obvious that the commercialization of goat production in the
smallholder farming communities can only be effective if appropriate feeding regimes using available feed
resources and creation of suitable marketing structures are achieved. Therefore, one of the expected
results in the proposed research action is the establishment of effective, affordable and sustainable
feeding packages for goats.
The majority of the goats in the three participating countries are indigenous breeds characterised by low
productivity. There have been very few successful goat breeding programmes in these countries (Kosgey
and Okeyo, 2007). This does not reflect any lack of potential in the existing breeds, but rather the history
of neglect by government agricultural departments and research scientists. Often when governments or
research stations have promoted new breeds, they have not put sufficient effort into goat management
improvements, leading to farmers to perceive the new breeds to have failed to perform. All breeding
improvements require long-term commitment which can range from 10 to 20 years, and this is often hard
to achieve in the developing countries. Very few, if any, countries have comprehensive legal frameworks
for the management of livestock breeding. Notable countries such as Uganda have developed and
adopted livestock breeding policies but considering that some of these issues cut across countries,
implementation can only be limited to national level with limited scope for harmonization among
neighbouring countries frameworks.
Since goat breeding is a long-term commitment, the proposed action intends to improve the quality of
marketable goats and goat carcasses by characterizing smallholder goat breeds and selecting those
strains that will promote high slaughter weights and good carcass quality characteristics.
One of the main objectives of this research is to get the smallholder farmers involved in goat marketing so
that they can have sustained household incomes and, therefore, improved livelihoods and food security.
There are opportunities open to the farmers since there is an increased demand for livestock products in
urban areas due to higher incomes and associated dietary changes (Delgado et al., 1999) and there is
potential to export live goats to the Middle East countries (ICRISAT, 2007). In Zimbabwe, beef production,
formally the bulk of the livestock industry has declined significantly leading to shortages in supply and
higher prices (van Rooyen et al., 2007). This is a result of the fast track land reform programme that
caused a reduction of the commercial herd by 75 percent from 1996 to 2004 (Homann et al., 2007). On
the other hand, goat populations in the smallholder farming communities have been increasing (Sibanda,
2005) and the prices of goat meat are now comparable with beef (Homann et al., 2007). However, there
is an underdeveloped market infrastructure in the rural areas which limits the farmers in participating in
goat marketing. In Uganda, there is an expanding middleclass and tourist industry which has led to a
higher demand of meat of high quality locally. Currently, the most profitable segment of the meat market is
entirely dependent on imported meat. There is therefore, a huge potential in promoting the production of
good quality goats and facilitating access by the rural farmers to the lucrative markets. In Namibia, the
majority of the smallholder goat farmers do not participate in formal markets let alone the lucrative export
market which is the mainstay of established commercial farmers. In 2011 alone, 251 777 live goats and
500 986 goat carcasses where exported to South Africa from the commercial farming areas (Meat Board

of Namibia, 2012). This indicates that there is a huge potential for smallholder goat farmers if they can be
facilitated to enter the functional marketing systems existing for the commercial farmers. This
necessitates the creation of efficient and appropriate functional markets that are within reach of the
farmers who are located in the northern part of the country.
Therefore with proper selection of meat goats, adequate good quality nutrition throughout the year and
establishment of appropriate goat marketing infrastructure accessible to the rural farmers, it is possible to
enhance the livelihoods of the farmers. This can be done effectively by using the Whole Value Chain
Analysis approach in the proposed research action. Various activities and processes that are involved
starting with the goat farmer and inputs/services providers and ending with goat meat and processed
products at the market place will be carefully studied and analyzed. This will allow the researchers and
involved stakeholders to maximise the value of the goat while incurring the least possible cost to the
various actors in the places along the production to marketing chain such that most of the benefit goes to
the farmers.
1.1.2.3.

Describe and define the target groups and final beneficiaries, their
needs and constraints and how the action will address these needs

The target groups cover the whole value chain of meat. The primary stakeholders are the goat keeping
farmers in integrated crop-livestock production systems of Eastern and Southern Africa. However, these
farmers can only benefit if the other actors are sensitized and are on board. Therefore, the ranches and
feedlots that buy, fatten and sell animals, the slaughterhouse that slaughter, mature and sell the meat and
the consumers, are among the target groups. Naturally the local scientists and service providers are key
stakeholders. They have to continue the development of the goat industry and propose new approaches
when the project phases out. The success of the project is, therefore, hinged on effective collaboration of
the many stakeholders. The project will require collaboration among the involved institutions; SNV and the
Cold Storage Commission (CSC) in Zimbabwe, ASPS in Uganda, the Meat Board in Namibia; in addition
to the private sector, livestock keeper groups, ranches and feedlots (state or private owned). The table
below shows the beneficiaries and their needs addressed.
Results
1. Effective and affordable feed
packages for smallholder goats
will be developed.
2. Niche markets for goats and
goat products will be identified
and promoted.

3. The productivity of
smallholder goats will be
improved.

Beneficiaries/endusers
1. Farmers
2. Exporters

4. Processors
5. Farmers
6. Processors

8. Farmers and
their
Communities
9. Universities
10. Private Sector
11. Government

1.1.2.4.

More reliable goat and goat product

supplies.

3. Consumers

7. Consumers
4. Information on commercial
goat production will be
disseminated to the smallholder
farmers, their communities and
the agricultural extension
systems.

How Action will address the needs of

Beneficiaries
Improved animal production, market
access and income.

Improved incomes hence their livelihoods.

Guaranteed supply of goat meat and
increased incomes.
More reliable and value-added products
Improved and sustained incomes, poverty
reduction and improved infrastructure.
Enhanced research capacity, improved
knowledge systems and visibility.
Business opportunities.
The outcomes will be used to inform
policy on livestock production.

Particular added-value elements

The Whole Value Chain Analysis approach in the proposed action involves all the stakeholders in the
chain from the agro-dealers and agricultural extension personnel supplying inputs and services to the
goat farmers right up to the meat traders. This action will therefore inevitably promote business
partnerships among a significant number of the stakeholders.
The action will also encourage farmers to organize themselves into goat farmers associations so that
they save money by bulk purchases of inputs and they will have a strong voice when bargaining for better

goat prices. This will reduce the exploitation of the farmers by the middleman in remove inefficiencies in
the market.
The research activities will involve identifying locally available feed resources and using them and any
other bought-in feed supplements to formulate optimum goat rations for fattening goats. This will give the
researchers the opportunity to carry out studies on strategies to reduce greenhouse methane gas
production by the animals from feeding different diet mixes. Those feeds that generate less methane
production by the animals will be promoted.
Traditionally, in Eastern and Southern Africa, many women (and sometimes children) own goats whereas
men own cattle. Therefore, improved goat production and marketing is a means to empower women.
1.1.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION (MAX 1 PAGE)
The Meat Board in Namibia, the Agricultural Sector Programme Support (ASPS) in Uganda and the
Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and Cold Storage Company (CSC) in Zimbabwe have all
indicated that the population of goats in the respective rural communities has been rising over the years
and marketing of the animals has been a constraint in mainstreaming the resource poor smallholder
farmers into commercial goat production business. The overall objective of this action is to improve the
incomes of goat farmers in the integrated crop-livestock systems of Southern and Eastern Africa. This is
going to be done through enhancing goat production and creating accessible goat markets for the
farmers.
The following activities linked to each of the five objectives will be carried out:
Objective 1: To promote the use of locally available plants and plant parts in goat feeds as alternative
innovative protein meal source for goat supplementary feeds
An inventory of locally available feed resources and current feeding systems will be developed. This
inventory will be used to determine optimum and affordable feeding packages through farmers
participatory feeding trials. These will be then be used to assess the effect of feeding packages on growth
and meat quality on-farm and on-station. Cost benefit analysis of developed goat feeding packages will
be carried and feeding manuals developed.
Objective 2: To increase growth performance and carcass characteristics of goats through use of the
developed feeding packages
Farmer participatory animal response trials will be carried out. Haematological and serum biochemical
indices, evaluation of slaughter and meat quality and sensory analysis of goat meat will be carried out.
This will give the processing and objective quality of the meat from local goats fed locally available feeds.
Objective 3: Improve goat productivity within the smallholder flocks and growth characteristics in goats
through within-goat-breed selection
A survey of available breeds among target farmers will be carried. These farmers will be trained in goat
breeding and management systems. Existing infrastructure for breeding and handling of nucleus flocks
will be improved and breed characterisation and selection schemes initiated. There will be on-farm and
on-station performance evaluation of goats and selected bucks will be distributed to trained farmers. The
performance of these goats will be monitored.
Objective 4: Improve farmer access to goat markets through development of viable partnerships with
existing markets
A whole value chain analysis will be carried out to determine potential and opportunities for marketing
goat and goat products. Linkages between stakeholders will be facilitated within the goat marketing
systems. The goat carcass grading schemes will be reviewed and upgraded to improve consistency.
Objective 5: Improve dissemination of goat management information to smallholder farmers
Several dissemination strategies will be employed including involvement of farmers at every stage of the
action. Develop goat management, feeding and marketing manuals will be developed and refined in a
recursive process that takes into account farmer feedback. Policy advocacy on goat production, carcass
grading and marketing will be ongoing.