Tick control by small-scale cattle farmers in the central Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
A survey conducted in 5 magisterial districts involving rapid rural appraisal and a questionnaire showed participation in state-managed and funded dipping programmes by cattle owners in communal areas of the central Eastern Cape to be nearly complete, with 98% of livestock owners interviewed participating in all dipping events. Disease control was the main reason for participation, but farmers perceive dipping to have a much broader disease-preventing activity than is really the case. Other reasons for participation in dipping programmes were to prevent ticks from sucking blood, provide animals with a clean appearance, and prevent damage to teats of cows. many livestock owners complement dipping with other tick control measures, including old motor oil, household disinfectant, pour-on acaricide and manual removal of ticks. Recently local farming communities were given the responsibility of buying dipping acaricide. This has presented them with the challenge of developing farmer-managed, cost-effective tick control programmes. At present, this process is constrained by lack of information and farmer training.
Masika
P J
PJ
Farming Systems Research and Extension Unit, ARDRI, University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa.
Sonandi
A
A
van Averbeke
W
W
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000469:parasitology*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003625:Data Collection; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013983:Tick Control / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary