J S Afr Vet Assoc. 2002 Dec; 73(4): 185-9.

Supply of veterinary medicinal products to an emerging farming community in the North West Province of South Africa.

Gehring R, Swan GE, Sykes RD.

Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110 South Africa. reghring@op.up.ac.za

A study was conducted in the Madikwe District of the North West Province to investigate the supply of veterinary medicinal products to small-scale, subsistence and emerging farmers. A combination of individual interviews, focus groups and direct observation was used to collect data. Stock remedies were made available to farmers within the district at Field Service Units that were managed by administrative staff of the Directorate of Field Services. The state veterinarian and animal health technicians were not directly involved with the sale of products. Most farmers still travelled to farmers' cooperatives in the larger centres outside the district to purchase the veterinary medicinal products they needed. Factors such as the quality of service provided, affordability and availability of required products as well as inaccessibility of outlets to all farmers contributed to the poor support of these outlets by the farmers of the district.