Farmer experiences with goat raising in Lao PDR: implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systems
Goat raising has increased in Lao People’s Democratic Republic due to meat demand from Vietnam. Goat production is low input using free grazing and minimal husbandry. Technical constraints are well known but socio-cultural contexts are poorly understood. This paper describes qualitative research on...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/14735903.2024.2344778 |
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| author | Eoin Liehr Joanne Millar Stephen Walkden-Brown Malavanh Chittavong Luisa Olmo |
| author_facet | Eoin Liehr Joanne Millar Stephen Walkden-Brown Malavanh Chittavong Luisa Olmo |
| author_sort | Eoin Liehr |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Goat raising has increased in Lao People’s Democratic Republic due to meat demand from Vietnam. Goat production is low input using free grazing and minimal husbandry. Technical constraints are well known but socio-cultural contexts are poorly understood. This paper describes qualitative research on farmer’s motivations, experiences and learning pathways, to improve goat husbandry. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 smallholder goat farmers in Lao’s South-Central province of Savannakhet. The interviews revealed that farmers relied on their experiences and observations of goat raising in their communities to make their management decisions. Trial and error was a valued learning strategy. Farmers took guidance from the exchange of goat raising experiences with other goat farmers and preferred participatory learning that fostered discussion in familiar village settings. Lao smallholder goat farming systems are a product of compromise across a number of resources. Project interventions that required low investments of labour, land or capital were most readily implemented and adapted by farmers. This study questions the assumption that project interventions are inherently optimal and beneficial for smallholder farming systems. Recommendations propose how farmer’s experiences, constraints and preferences can be incorporated into development approaches to ensure management system changes reflect the desires of smallholder farmers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-68873b925d1d4fcc9f66e96b1b3da529 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1473-5903 1747-762X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj-art-68873b925d1d4fcc9f66e96b1b3da5292025-01-06T14:27:41ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Agricultural Sustainability1473-59031747-762X2024-12-0122110.1080/14735903.2024.2344778Farmer experiences with goat raising in Lao PDR: implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systemsEoin Liehr0Joanne Millar1Stephen Walkden-Brown2Malavanh Chittavong3Luisa Olmo4School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, AustraliaGulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, AustraliaSchool of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, AustraliaDepartment of Livestock and Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, National University of Laos, Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic RepublicSchool of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, AustraliaGoat raising has increased in Lao People’s Democratic Republic due to meat demand from Vietnam. Goat production is low input using free grazing and minimal husbandry. Technical constraints are well known but socio-cultural contexts are poorly understood. This paper describes qualitative research on farmer’s motivations, experiences and learning pathways, to improve goat husbandry. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 smallholder goat farmers in Lao’s South-Central province of Savannakhet. The interviews revealed that farmers relied on their experiences and observations of goat raising in their communities to make their management decisions. Trial and error was a valued learning strategy. Farmers took guidance from the exchange of goat raising experiences with other goat farmers and preferred participatory learning that fostered discussion in familiar village settings. Lao smallholder goat farming systems are a product of compromise across a number of resources. Project interventions that required low investments of labour, land or capital were most readily implemented and adapted by farmers. This study questions the assumption that project interventions are inherently optimal and beneficial for smallholder farming systems. Recommendations propose how farmer’s experiences, constraints and preferences can be incorporated into development approaches to ensure management system changes reflect the desires of smallholder farmers.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/14735903.2024.2344778Agricultural developmentgoat productionfarmer learningfarmer experiencesLao PDR |
| spellingShingle | Eoin Liehr Joanne Millar Stephen Walkden-Brown Malavanh Chittavong Luisa Olmo Farmer experiences with goat raising in Lao PDR: implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systems International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability Agricultural development goat production farmer learning farmer experiences Lao PDR |
| title | Farmer experiences with goat raising in Lao PDR: implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systems |
| title_full | Farmer experiences with goat raising in Lao PDR: implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systems |
| title_fullStr | Farmer experiences with goat raising in Lao PDR: implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Farmer experiences with goat raising in Lao PDR: implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systems |
| title_short | Farmer experiences with goat raising in Lao PDR: implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systems |
| title_sort | farmer experiences with goat raising in lao pdr implications for improving husbandry and sustaining viable systems |
| topic | Agricultural development goat production farmer learning farmer experiences Lao PDR |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/14735903.2024.2344778 |
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