Return to search

Stock farmers and the state: a case study of animal healthcare practices in Hertzog Eastern Cape Province South Africa

The animal healthcare practices of most communal farmers involve the use of both conventional and ethnoveterinary medicines. This study presents information on the animal healthcare practices of stock farmers in Hertzog, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It also presents the findings on the social, economic and political aspects surrounding animal healthcare. The research applied two theories namely structuration theory and the Context, Practice and Belief (CPB) framework. Interviews and participant observation were used to collect data. The communal farmers widely used conventional medicines however, proper administration methods were not followed. Ethnoveterinary medicines were used to prevent and treat disease, even by the younger stock farmers. The stock farmers used ethnoveterinary medicines mainly because of the lack of finance to purchase the conventional medicines, even though the latter was preferred. The stock farmers actively participated in state programmes but felt that they needed more state veterinarian visits and state provided medications because they could not afford private veterinarians and conventional medicines. Therefore, this study attempts to contribute to an understanding of the use of ethnoveterinary medicine and communal farmers’ animal healthcare practices.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufh/vital:11508
Date January 2010
CreatorsJenjezwa, Vimbai Rachel
PublisherUniversity of Fort Hare, Faculty of Science & Agriculture
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis, Masters, MSc (Geography)
Format188 leaves; 30 cm, pdf
RightsUniversity of Fort Hare

Page generated in 0.0023 seconds