Goats as a livelihood option amid climatic shifts in Zim

THE El Niño-induced drought currently ravaging Zimbabwe, and many other countries in the southern Africa region, is a clarion call to rethink our agricultural and food systems.

Drought is forcing smallholder farmers to sell at exactly the same time, for exactly the same reason, such that livestock prices are plummeting, leaving the smallholder farmers in a loop of poverty for years to come.

Goats are an important source of income and nutrition to many poor and marginalised farmers that can be used to help smallholders farmers cushion their livelihoods amid climatic shifts.

Goats also have relatively low input requirements and a corresponding expected output.

They are often referred to as village banks in some rural areas, where the villagers invest their money by purchasing and feeding goats and consider it as an appropriate way to save money for the future.

Goats have the ability to reduce their metabolic processes to conserve energy resources during feed scarcity.

In addition, goats emit less enteric methane than all other domestic ruminant animals per unit body weight.

Because of their browsing habit and the anatomical advantage of the upper lips, goats can thrive well with limited feeds, especially in arid and semi-arid regions.

However, farmers will have to apply a lot of knowledge and skills to get the most out goats during this season of lack. It’s no longer possible that goats can look after themselves.

Extensive grazing systems that predominate among smallholders who own 95% of Zimbabwe’s approximately 4,5 million goat population will need to be revisited because of the heat stressors that may affect the production, health and survival of goats under conditions of climate change.

A report on climate change and its impact on southern Africa food systems refers to goats as the second most valued livestock after cattle in rural areas.

Zimbabwean farmers need to take advantage of the capacity of goats to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change and their benefits in sustainable production.

As our climate increasingly grows unpredictable, goats will certainly have a prominent role to play in mitigating the detrimental impacts of climate change.

The resilient nature of goats makes them a profitable enterprise capable of thriving despite climate change challenges and multiple environmental stressors that other livestock like cattle may not be able to recover from.

Goats have numerous advantages that enable them to maintain their production under extreme climatic conditions.

They have efficient browsing behaviour as well as an efficient digestive system, allowing them to remain productive in difficult environmental circumstances.

Strong heat resistance, outstanding feed conversion efficiency, survival in adverse climatic circumstances and high resistance to many diseases are all traits that contribute to production.

The ability of an animal to cope and adapt to the changing climate virtually depends on the function of rumen and rumen inhabitants such as bacteria, protozoa, fungi, virus and archaea.

High temperatures harm the physiology of the rumen and, in turn, the nutritional status of an animal.

As a result of these characteristics, goats are able to adapt and thrive even in extreme climatic conditions.

The total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions attributed to livestock production globally is 7% to 18%, and of this goats, account for 4%.

In itself, goat farming is a growing market with plenty of growth opportunities, particularly for new entrepreneurs.

Goats need to be produced in a future-proof and responsible manner.

There is a need to combine the traditional care for and dedication to goats with the most advanced farm management processes in the world.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation Statistics 2022, small ruminant animals account for 58% of total livestock and have a global population of 2,397 billion heads, comprising 1,285 billion sheep and 1,112 billion goats.

Goats are efficient feed converters. So in instances of disruptive climatic conditions, goats have a higher capacity to convert some feed sources to milk and meat more effectively than other farm animals.

During the feed conversion process, goats produce less methane gas which tweaks climate change as compared to beef, which produces more methane gas and is more consumed around the globe.

Goats are able to live and produce in limited rangelands, high temperature and drought conditions and have a strong resistance to external parasites and diseases.