ArticleHeliyon2025
Factors influencing livestock ownership and herd intensity among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Article in Heliyon, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Economic potential and production determinants of selected neglected and conventional livestock species in Ogun and Oyo States, Nigeria: A comparative case study.Veterinary and animal science · 2026Article
- Economic Impact of Malignant Catarrhal Fever on Cattle Production in Lephalale Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa.Veterinary sciences · 2026Article
- Profit efficiency of smallholder dairy production systems: Empirical evidence from Northern Uganda.PloS one · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This study explores the factors influencing smallholder farmers' decisions on livestock ownership and herd size in the context of climate change. A cross-sectional approach was employed, using a multi-stage sampling method to survey 600 smallholder farmers, 495 of whom were engaged in livestock production. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using a double hurdle model. The findings reveal that the decision to own livestock is positively influenced by adherence to African traditional religion, access to climate information, membership in farming organizations, income diversification, possession of formal housing, exposure to high average temperatures, and the likelihood of being in female-headed households. In contrast, higher educational attainment and larger household sizes are associated with a lower likelihood of livestock ownership. The intensity of livestock herd is positively influenced by male-headed households, farm organization affiliation, access to diversified income streams, and higher average annual precipitation. While male-headed households are less likely to engage in livestock ownership initially, those that do, tend to have larger herds. The study concludes that both household capital and environmental factors significantly shape smallholder farmers' livestock ownership decisions. The findings suggest that smallholder farmers in the study area may increasingly rely on livestock as a sustainable and adaptive strategy in response to changing temperature patterns and evolving socio-economic needs. Based on these findings, policy recommendations include promoting gender-inclusive livestock policies to empower female-headed households, enhancing access to climate information, supporting farm organizations and income diversification, and fostering adaptation to environmental changes, to improve the sustainability and resilience of smallholder livestock farming.
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Registered trials
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