The impacts of climate change on livestock production are complex problems, existing in the rela-tionship among this sector and others sectors such as environmental, social, economic and political systems. The complexity and dynamic of these impacts cannot be solved simply in isolation with the linear approach. A system thinking methodology is introduced in this paper to understand the impacts of climate change on livestock production, and identify effective interventions strategies to address this systemic problem. System thinking is a way of thinking about the world and relationships which has been developed far along way in the past. Today, systems thinking has become increasingly popular because it provides a \'new way of thinking\' to understand and manage complex problems, whether they rest within a local or global context. While four levels of thinking is a fundamental tool to identify systemic problems, Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) is a visual tool created by a computer program to illustrate the whole picture of climate change impacts. CLD consist of feedbacks for system, which help strategists identify appropriate intervention strategies in solving the systemic problem. / Ảnh hưởng của biến đổi khí hậu đến ngành chăn nuôi là một trong những vấn đề phức tạp, bởi mối quan hệ chặt chẽ có hệ thống của chúng với các lĩnh vực khác như môi trường, xã hội, kinh tế và chính trị. Những tác động phức tạp đa chiều này không thể giải quyết đơn thuần bằng các giải pháp mang tính đơn lẻ. Phương pháp tư duy hệ thống được giới thiệu trong bài này cho phép hiểu đầy đủ, có hệ thống các tác động của biến đổi khí hậu đến ngành chăn nuôi, đồng thời xác định được những giải pháp chiến lược phù hợp để giải quyết vấn đề mang tính hệ thống này. Tư duy hệ thống là cách tư duy và tiếp cận với sự vật, hiện tượng khách quan, và các mối quan hệ của chúng, phương pháp này đã được nghiên cứu và phát triển từ xa xưa. Ngày nay, tư duy hệ thống đang được ứng dụng phổ biến và rộng rãi hơn trong các nghiên cứu phát triển bền vững vì phương pháp này cung cấp một “tư duy mới” để hiểu và quản lý được các vấn đề phức tạp, dù chúng ở qui mô địa phương hay trên phạm vi toàn cầu. Trong đó, bốn cấp bậc của tư duy là công cụ cơ bản để nhận biết các vấn đề phức tạp, và sơ đồ các vòng tròn tác động (CLD) là công cụ trực quan được xây dựng bằng phần mềm máy tính để chỉ ra bức tranh toàn cảnh các tác động của biến đổi khí hậu. Các vòng tròn tác động này phản ánh các diễn biến thực tế và các thông tin giúp cho việc xác định các giải pháp chiến lược.

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SILVA, Yuri Lopes. O componente animal em agroecossistemas trabalhados pelo Projeto Sustentare na comunidade Sítio Areias, Sobral - CE. 2015. 124 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2015. / Submitted by Eric Santiago (erichhcl@gmail.com) on 2016-08-24T13:17:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_ylsilva.pdf: 1823683 bytes, checksum: b9d37643d9146d817a1d3382c8f761c7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jairo Viana (jairo@ufc.br) on 2016-08-26T18:39:39Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_ylsilva.pdf: 1823683 bytes, checksum: b9d37643d9146d817a1d3382c8f761c7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-26T18:39:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_dis_ylsilva.pdf: 1823683 bytes, checksum: b9d37643d9146d817a1d3382c8f761c7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Sustainability of livestock farming in family units covers agroecological knowledge capable of overcoming the harmful effects of inadequate management. Also, it promotes agricultural biodiversity, food security and the acquisition of income. In this perspective, the Sustentare Project proposes the rise of a conservative agriculture, encouraging the active participation of stakeholders in decision-making. The objectives were to understand the importance of livestock for the families participating in the Sustentare Project at Sitio Areias community; prepare a document on the overview of agroecosystems that include the activity and evaluate the importance of the livestock subsystem for balance and functioning of agroecosystems. The survey had a social character with a systems approach and relied on the Participatory Rural Appraisal tools, plus a semi-structured interview; an ethnobotanical survey to characterize the Collective Yard; an economic assessment and analysis of sustainability through systemic attributes. Family farms in Sitio Areias essentially occupy smallholdings of 0.2 to 16.0 ha. Livestock exhibits an apparent relationship between the available area and managed diversity of animal species. The product of this diversity of livestock appears with three hierarchically structured purposes, starting with the consumption, followed by marketing and donating or sharing. Cattle’s rising is no longer a viable option among the peasants of Sitio Areias. The poultry industry is more widespread among the families and its main purpose is to meet the self-consumption, but has a high potential of monetary income generation distributed throughout the year. The pig husbandry has demonstrated its importance in maintaining the financial position of the family dedicated to this activity, but needs to overcome difficulties such as poor sanitary management. Goat breeding has evolved in the community with the arrival of the Cabra Nossa de Cada Dia Project but does not meet any more the social role of providing daily milk to children's development. At Sitio Areias the Sustentare Project has been innovating with a strategy that seeks to communicate and to integrate, in a systemic way, several agroecosystems that usually are handled independently by different households. Thus, it challenges the approach centered in family agroecosystems and places the question of collective work, beyond the ideological perspective. / A sustentabilidade da produção animal em unidades familiares abrange conhecimentos agroecológicos capazes de superar os efeitos danosos de um manejo inadequado. Além disso, favorece a agrobiodiversidade, a segurança alimentar e a aquisição de renda, incluindo a atividade no processo de organização sócio econômica. Nessa perspectiva, o Projeto Sustentare propõe a ascensão de uma agricultura conservadora, estimulando a participação ativa dos atores sociais nas tomadas de decisões. Os objetivos do trabalho foram compreender a importância do componente animal para as famílias participantes do Projeto Sustentare na comunidade Sítio Areias; elaborar um documento sobre o panorama geral dos agroecossistemas que contemplam a atividade e avaliar a importância do subsistema de criação para o equilíbrio e funcionamento dos ecossistemas agrícolas. A pesquisa teve caráter social com uma abordagem sistêmica e contou com ferramentas do Diagnóstico Rural Participativo, além de uma entrevista semiestruturada; de um levantamento etnobotânico para a caracterização do Quintal Coletivo; de uma avaliação econômica e da análise da sustentabilidade por meio de atributos sistêmicos. A agricultura familiar no Sítio Areias ocupa essencialmente minifúndios de 0,2 a 16,0 ha. A criação exibe uma aparente relação entre a área disponível e a diversidade de espécies animais manejadas. O produto dessa diversidade de criações se apresenta com três finalidades hierarquicamente estruturadas, iniciando com o consumo, seguido da comercialização e da doação ou partilha. A bovinocultura, não é mais uma opção viável entre os camponeses do Sítio Areias. A avicultura está mais generalizada entre as famílias, tendo como principal propósito atender o autoconsumo, mas apresenta elevado potencial de geração de renda monetária distribuída ao longo do ano. A suinocultura tem demonstrado a sua relevância na manutenção da situação financeira da família dedicada a essa atividade, mas precisa superar dificuldades como o precário manejo sanitário. A caprinocultura evoluiu na comunidade com a chegada do Projeto Cabra Nossa de Cada Dia, mas não cumpre mais o papel social de fornecer o leite diário para o desenvolvimento infantil. No Sitio Areias, o Projeto Sustentare vem inovando com uma estratégia que busca comunicar e até integrar, de forma sistêmica, diferentes agroecossistemas que, usualmente, são manejados de forma independente por diferentes núcleos familiares. Assim, desafia a abordagem centrada nos agroecossistemas familiares e recoloca a questão do trabalho coletivo, para além da perspectiva ideológica.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research was conducted with the objective to evaluate alternatives of utilization of cool season pastures, under grazing with dairy cattle. Two main experiments were conducted. On the first was evaluated the use of Agro Zebu black oat, UPF 18 white oat, BRS Serrano rye and BRS Tarumã wheat, submitted to double purpose management (forage and grains).On the second was evaluated black oat, ryegrass and wheat exclusively on grazing, in which was also evaluated the ingestive behavior of lactating cows and the production of conserved forage from pasture remaining biomass. The grazing method was the rotative stocking, with a day of occupation. Early growth, herbage and leaf blades biomass production, grains, botanical and structural compositions, the period of use and nutritional value, beyond the stocking rate and herbage intake were evaluated. The behavioral variables studied were grazing, rumination and idleness time, bite rate, number, interval and duration of meals. From conserved forage were evaluated yield, the fermentative parameters of silage and nutritive value of silage and hay. The experimental design was completely randomized with three replications and repeated measures, except the ingestive behavior, which was designed in randomized complete blocks and conserved forage, who present a 3 x 2 factorial scheme. In the double purpose experiment, white oat was the pasture with most early growth. Wheat present higher forage production, leaf blades biomass, grain yield, hectoliter weight and nutritional value were similar between genotypes. In the experiment on pasture, ryegrass and wheat presented higher herbage and leaf blades biomass yields and supported higher stocking rates. On the pastures high nutritional value was verified, with higher values of crude protein and digestibility of neutral detergent fiber for black oat and wheat. Grazing and rumination time was higher for black oat, in which there was a greater bite rate, caused by reduced leaf blades allowance. At ryegrass and wheat pastures, cows had shorter meals and in great numbers throughout the day. For silage, was verified appropriate fermentation parameters and lower losses of soluble components, providing forage with a higher nutritional value in compared to hay. The results show that wheat is most appropriate for the double purpose management and has similar performance to ryegrass under grazing and animal ingestive behavior. For the remaining biomass of cool season pastures, the conditions for conservation as silage and hay were satisfactory. / Esta pesquisa foi conduzida com o objetivo de avaliar alternativas de utilização de forrageiras de estação fria em pastejo com bovinos leiteiros. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos principais. No primeiro avaliou-se a utilização de aveia preta cv. Agro Zebu, aveia branca cv. UPF 18, centeio BRS Serrano e trigo BRS Tarumã, submetidos ao manejo de duplo-propósito (forragem e grãos). No segundo avaliou-se a utilização da aveia preta, do azevém e do trigo somente em pastejo, no qual também foi avaliado o comportamento ingestivo de vacas em lactação e a produção de forragem conservada a partir da biomassa remanescente da pastagem. O método de pastejo utilizado foi o de lotação rotacionada, com um dia de ocupação. Foram avaliados a precocidade, a produtividade de forragem, de grãos, as composições botânica e estrutural, o período de utilização e o valor nutritivo, além da capacidade de suporte e consumo de forragem. As variáveis comportamentais estudadas foram os tempos de pastejo, ócio e ruminação, taxa de bocados, número, intervalo e duração das refeições. Da forragem conservada foram avaliados o rendimento, os parâmetros fermentativos da silagem e o valor nutritivo da silagem e do feno. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições e medidas repetidas no tempo, à exceção do comportamento ingestivo, que foi delineado com blocos completos casualizados, e o da forragem conservada, com esquema fatorial 3x2. No experimento conduzido com duplo-propósito, a aveia branca foi o genótipo mais precoce para produção de forragem. O trigo apresentou maior produção de forragem, de biomassa de lâminas foliares, de grãos e peso do hectolitro, e o valor nutritivo foi similar entre os genótipos. No experimento em pastejo, o azevém e o trigo foram as espécies que apresentaram maiores produções de forragem e de biomassa de lâminas foliares e suportaram taxas de lotação mais elevadas. Verificou-se elevado valor nutritivo na forragem, com valores de proteína bruta e coeficientes de digestibilidade da fibra em detergente neutro mais elevados para a aveia e o trigo. Os tempos de pastejo e de ruminação foram maiores na pastagem de aveia, na qual também foi observada maior taxa de bocados, ocasionados pela menor oferta real de lâminas foliares. Nas pastagens de azevém e trigo, as vacas tiveram refeições mais curtas e em maior número no decorrer do dia. Para a silagem, verificou-se que as características fermentativas foram adequadas, com baixas perdas de componentes solúveis, proporcionando uma forragem com valor nutritivo mais elevado em relação ao feno. Os resultados demonstram que o trigo é mais adequado para o manejo de duplo-propósito e apresenta desempenho similar ao azevém em pastejo e no comportamento ingestivo dos animais. Para a biomassa remanescente das pastagens, as condições foram satisfatórias para a conservação na forma de silagem e feno.

The objective of this thesis is to point out the problematic accounting areas in agriculture as well as evaluating how this area is dealt with by the observed company. Two typical areas are specified ? vegetable production and livestock production. The first part of the thesis deals with possible ways of livestock production accounting in accordance with the Czech legislation. On the other hand, the outlook of international accounting standards is also outlined, seeing the animals as a biological asset with regard to their specific qualities. The practical part defines the farming business, which provided the necessary information in the areas of animal records and accounting. The attention is paid to purchasing the animals, finding out and accounting their growth, accounting their assignment to higher build categories, their writing off and discard. Another area the thesis deals with is the issue of subsidies. The theoretical part primarily outlines how different types of subsidies are accounted from the point of view of the Czech legislation as well as the international accounting standards. As far as the practical part is concerned, the subsidies used by the company are specified along with the procedure of their accounting. Furthermore, an in-house directive elaborated by request of the accounting entity is a part of this thesis. The in-house directive defines the area of stock, which the company wants to account directly into the consumption. Therefore the applicable regulations are mentioned and the essential directive is created on the pattern of in-house directives.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Sustainability of livestock farming in family units covers agroecological knowledge capable of overcoming the harmful effects of inadequate management. Also, it promotes agricultural biodiversity, food security and the acquisition of income. In this perspective, the Sustentare Project proposes the rise of a conservative agriculture, encouraging the active participation of stakeholders in decision-making. The objectives were to understand the importance of livestock for the families participating in the Sustentare Project at Sitio Areias community; prepare a document on the overview of agroecosystems that include the activity and evaluate the importance of the livestock subsystem for balance and functioning of agroecosystems. The survey had a social character with a systems approach and relied on the Participatory Rural Appraisal tools, plus a semi-structured interview; an ethnobotanical survey to characterize the Collective Yard; an economic assessment and analysis of sustainability through systemic attributes. Family farms in Sitio Areias essentially occupy smallholdings of 0.2 to 16.0 ha. Livestock exhibits an apparent relationship between the available area and managed diversity of animal species. The product of this diversity of livestock appears with three hierarchically structured purposes, starting with the consumption, followed by marketing and donating or sharing. Cattleâs rising is no longer a viable option among the peasants of Sitio Areias. The poultry industry is more widespread among the families and its main purpose is to meet the self-consumption, but has a high potential of monetary income generation distributed throughout the year. The pig husbandry has demonstrated its importance in maintaining the financial position of the family dedicated to this activity, but needs to overcome difficulties such as poor sanitary management. Goat breeding has evolved in the community with the arrival of the Cabra Nossa de Cada Dia Project but does not meet any more the social role of providing daily milk to children's development. At Sitio Areias the Sustentare Project has been innovating with a strategy that seeks to communicate and to integrate, in a systemic way, several agroecosystems that usually are handled independently by different households. Thus, it challenges the approach centered in family agroecosystems and places the question of collective work, beyond the ideological perspective. / A sustentabilidade da produÃÃo animal em unidades familiares abrange conhecimentos agroecolÃgicos capazes de superar os efeitos danosos de um manejo inadequado. AlÃm disso, favorece a agrobiodiversidade, a seguranÃa alimentar e a aquisiÃÃo de renda, incluindo a atividade no processo de organizaÃÃo sÃcio econÃmica. Nessa perspectiva, o Projeto Sustentare propÃe a ascensÃo de uma agricultura conservadora, estimulando a participaÃÃo ativa dos atores sociais nas tomadas de decisÃes. Os objetivos do trabalho foram compreender a importÃncia do componente animal para as famÃlias participantes do Projeto Sustentare na comunidade SÃtio Areias; elaborar um documento sobre o panorama geral dos agroecossistemas que contemplam a atividade e avaliar a importÃncia do subsistema de criaÃÃo para o equilÃbrio e funcionamento dos ecossistemas agrÃcolas. A pesquisa teve carÃter social com uma abordagem sistÃmica e contou com ferramentas do DiagnÃstico Rural Participativo, alÃm de uma entrevista semiestruturada; de um levantamento etnobotÃnico para a caracterizaÃÃo do Quintal Coletivo; de uma avaliaÃÃo econÃmica e da anÃlise da sustentabilidade por meio de atributos sistÃmicos. A agricultura familiar no SÃtio Areias ocupa essencialmente minifÃndios de 0,2 a 16,0 ha. A criaÃÃo exibe uma aparente relaÃÃo entre a Ãrea disponÃvel e a diversidade de espÃcies animais manejadas. O produto dessa diversidade de criaÃÃes se apresenta com trÃs finalidades hierarquicamente estruturadas, iniciando com o consumo, seguido da comercializaÃÃo e da doaÃÃo ou partilha. A bovinocultura, nÃo à mais uma opÃÃo viÃvel entre os camponeses do SÃtio Areias. A avicultura està mais generalizada entre as famÃlias, tendo como principal propÃsito atender o autoconsumo, mas apresenta elevado potencial de geraÃÃo de renda monetÃria distribuÃda ao longo do ano. A suinocultura tem demonstrado a sua relevÃncia na manutenÃÃo da situaÃÃo financeira da famÃlia dedicada a essa atividade, mas precisa superar dificuldades como o precÃrio manejo sanitÃrio. A caprinocultura evoluiu na comunidade com a chegada do Projeto Cabra Nossa de Cada Dia, mas nÃo cumpre mais o papel social de fornecer o leite diÃrio para o desenvolvimento infantil. No Sitio Areias, o Projeto Sustentare vem inovando com uma estratÃgia que busca comunicar e atà integrar, de forma sistÃmica, diferentes agroecossistemas que, usualmente, sÃo manejados de forma independente por diferentes nÃcleos familiares. Assim, desafia a abordagem centrada nos agroecossistemas familiares e recoloca a questÃo do trabalho coletivo, para alÃm da perspectiva ideolÃgica.

Livestock production is one of the largest and fastest growing agricultural subsectors in the world, contributing almost 40 % of agricultural GDP. The present global trend of livestock intensification affects water demand, resulting in local alterations of hydrological features. This study quantifies water requirements for livestock production and links them to local changes in water-related ecosystem services (WRES). It examines the present situation in Uruguayan beef production as it undergoes an intensification process by analyzing three systems: traditional extensive production, mixed systems and intensive production.Mixed production systems are most water-effective in terms of water requirement. However, extensive production has the least negative long-term effects on the studied WRESs: soil productivity, erosion control and grass, crop and livestock production. Intensive systems contribute the largest negative impacts on soil productivity due to management practices, e.g. continuous cropping and fertilizer application (which is also costly). However, intensification also increases short-term positive effects on crop and livestock production. Mixed systems offer opportunities to increase livestock production, water use efficiency and mitigate soil degradation. However, a threshold value to avoid an undesirable regime shift in soil productivity remains to be determined.This framework developed herein, maps and quantifies local ecosystem effects associated with livestock production from a water perspective. It required simplifications and thus needs further improvements to be of practical use as a tool for best management practices of livestock production. Such tools can assist decision-makers in Uruguay on how to manage multiple ecosystem services in an agricultural landscape and enhance the provision of desired ES without degrading other key ecosystem processes, goods and services. For sustainable production of livestock in Uruguay, one should consider if the tradeoff between long-term negative impacts of intensification on regulating services is justifiable in the context of the short-term economic gains in provisioning services.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Livestock production is the most important sub-sector in agriculture in South Africa. It contributes a very large proportion to the agricultural gross domestic product. It has been identified as the sub-sector that has potential in improving food security and livelihoods of the rural people. The current study analyses the determinants of market participation and profitability of IDC Nguni smallholder farmers in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The aim of the study was to contribute to the body of knowledge that exist in the study area, particularly of Limpopo Province livestock marketing by analysing determinants of market participation and profitability. The primary data were collected using structured questionnaires. All IDC Nguni Project beneficiaries (62 famers)were included in the survey. Descriptive data were analysed using Version 23 of SPSS. The logistic regression was used to analyse market participation data, multiple regression was used for profitability data and livelihood model for assessing the contribution of the project to livelihoods. The models were analysed using Stata 14. The results revealed that 59% of the respondents participated in the market and 41% of respondents did not participate. The study revealed that 54% of the respondents indicate that market access was easy and only 38% of respondents indicated that market access was not easy and 8% of respondents revealed that they do not know how the market access was because they were not yet selling. Seventy percent of the farmers perceived their livelihoods being improved after joining IDC Nguni Cattle Project whereas 23% of the farmers perceived their livelihood not improve after joining IDC Nguni Cattle Project. Gross margin computation showed that 52% of the farmers made gross margins ranging between R2 000 and R481 200 during the 2015 production/marketing season. The overall gross margins showed that 46% of the farmers made loss ranging from R7 300 to R170 500 during the 2015 marketing season, and 2% of the smallholder farmers were operating break-even point. The average gross margin for Community Property Associations was R6 031 while for individual farmers it was R16 082. The decision making process, for example to sell vii livestock, may be complex in the CPAs and hence a higher gross margin results for individual farmers than for CPAs. Thirty-six percent of CPAs made a loss, while 49% of individual farmers also made loss during 2015. The results of logistic regression showed that marital status, education level, loan repayment, price of an animal and household income were all significant factors (at various probability levels and with different signs), influencing market participation in the study area. A multiple regression model revealed that empirically the herd size, farm size and distance travelled to the market were significant at various probability levels and with different signs influencing profitability in the study area. Livelihood model results revealed that recent increase in farm income and farm size were all significant at different probability levels and with different signs influencing smallholder farmers' livelihood improvement in the Limpopo Province. The study identified some challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Limpopo Province. The major ones were inadequate access of market information, high transactional costs, poor conditions of the animals and poor access to markets. Policy makers should come up with policies that support the smallholder farmers with formal training, seminars and workshops to improve profitability of the farmers. Basic training of production and marketing may enable the smallholder farmer to increase profits. Other recommendations were formation of farmers' organisations, access to financial resources and private-public collaboration to establish central selling points. / Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation (DST-NRF) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Food Security and National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC)

Thesis (M.Sc. Agriculture (Agricultural Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Raising cattle in South Africa and any other developing country in the Southern African region as part of livestock production, is one of the important means through which people sustain their livelihood. Inadequate efforts have been taken by the government to improve the marketing system of cattle, particularly to develop small-scale farming in the Limpopo Province and South Africa as a whole. With that being said, the small-scale sector has not been developed to the extent it is expected to. This study examined the factors affecting the participation of small-scale cattle farmers in livestock auctions in the Capricorn District of the Limpopo Province. The study had three objectives, namely; (i) To describe the socio-economic characteristics of the small scale cattle farmers in the Capricorn District of the Limpopo Province; (ii) To assess the perception of small-scale cattle farmers in the Capricorn District of the Limpopo Province towards livestock auction; (iii) To identify and analyse factors affecting the participation of small-scale cattle farmers in livestock auctions in the Capricorn District of the Limpopo Province. The Multi-stage sampling procedure was used in the selection of the representative sample. Three locations (Lepelle-Nkumpi, Molemole and Polokwane local municipalities) were selected purposively because a large number of small-scale cattle farmers in the Capricorn District rely on the agricultural sector economically. The Logistic Regression Model was used to analyse factors affecting the participation of small-scale cattle farmers in livestock auctions. The results showed that, out of the 120 sample size, 42% of small-scale cattle farmers were auction participants and 58% of small-scale cattle farmers were non-participants . There were 43 male-headed households of the participants and 61 female-headed households of the non-participants . An analysis of the farmers ’ socio-economic characteristics further showed that in order for the farmers to cut the costs of production, the majority of the small-scale cattle farmers preferred using family labourers or household labourers in their cattle farming. Farmers were asked a set of Likert type scale questions about their perceptions on the auctions. The Perception Index score ii was skewed to the left and therefore revealed that the small-scale cattle farmers had a negative perception towards the auction. Farmers who had a positive perception, on the other hand, often sold their cattle at a higher price compared to the non-participants who had a negative perception. Furthermore, small-scale cattle farmers who are participants tend to use the market avenue and through that, their cattle productivity is higher, resulting in a total revenue compared to the non-participants. Consequently, small-scale farmers who participate in auctions acquire valuable production information at the very auctions. Descriptive statistics such as means, minimum and maximum values, frequencies, percentages and standard deviations were used to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the small-scale cattle farmers in the Capricorn District of the Limpopo Province. The results revealed that only 4 variables were significant. The total herd size, distance to the market, gender of the household head and market information were significant at 1%, 5%, 1%, 5%, respectively and all had a positive effect towards auction participation. The study suggested that the government and other policy makers should increase the marketing information and abilities of small-scale cattle farmers through avenues like mass media, extension service and other means of capacity building. This will help the farmers to minimise transaction costs. Furthermore, farmers will not incur more costs when they participate in the markets, considering that market facilities such as auctions are often hosted far from the farmers, which results in farmers incurring more costs.

No description available.