CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER VIII
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DOI：
10.9783/9780812290578.210
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发表时间：
1997
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
A. Schopenhauer
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
A. Schopenhauer
GENERAL DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION _____________________________________________________________________ Focus on nutritional studies in communally managed livestock in Zimbabwe reflects a need to address the problem of general underproduction in this sector. Farming systems at the time of this study were such that nearly 80% of the population owning more than 68% of the national cattle herd and almost all the national goat population occupied less than 42% of the total land area (Ministry of Mines Environment and Tourism, 1998). The majority of these areas fall in regions 3, 4 and 5, generally characterised by poor terrain, poor soils, where rainfall is unreliable or more erratic. In some areas of Matebeleland North and South, desertisation is encroaching. Such a situation is worsened by overstocking as livestock are family owned, although they graze communally resulting in over-grazing. Communal production systems are generally low input production systems due to resource-poverty and, in particular cattle, are seen as multi-functional utility animals rather than as commercially tradeable assets. Milk however, is more valuable to household and community nutrition, although its output levels could be increased through improved animal nutrition. Government policy strategies and a number of schemes over the past 20 years have been focussing on communal areas to improve livelihoods and incomes through increased productivity in agriculture.
