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Livestock development policy in The Gambia: A reassessment

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Summary

This paper examines the historical development of policy in The Gambia through an analysis of 3 recurring themes: the motivation for keeping livestock, growth of the cattle population and the resulting feed deficit, and the need to develop a mixed farming system. The paper argues that there are major discrepancies between the common understanding which emerges from these themes and the realities of livestock ownership and production. It is suggested that it is because of these discrepancies, that livestock policies and programmes, other than mass disease control, have seldom had their desired impacts.

Résumé

L'article étudie le dévelopment historique des politiques en Gambie à travers une analyse de trois thèmes habituels: la motivation pour la conservation due bétail; la croissance de la population bovine et le déficit inhérent de l'alimentation; le besoin de développement d'un système d'élevage mixte.

L'article démonte qu'il existe d'importants décalages entre la compréhension commune qui émerge de ces thèmes et les réalités de la propriété et de la production du bétail.

C'est sûrement à cause de ces différences que les politiques et les programmes concernant le bétail, autres que la lutte à grande échelle contre les maladies, ont rarement obtenu l'effet souhaité.

Resumen

Este escrito examina el desarrolo histórico de algunas politícas en Gambia, con base en 3 temas: la motivación para tener ganado, el crecimiento de la población ganadera, el déficit alimentario resultante y la necesidad de desarrolar sistemas mixtos de producción. El trabajo argumenta, que existen discrepancias mayores entre el entendimiento común que emerge de estos temas y la realidad de la producción con base en la tenecia animal. Se sugiere que debido a estas discrepancias, las políticas y programas ganaderos, diferentes al control masivo de enfermedades, no han tenido el impacto esperado.

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  1. The School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, NR4 7TJ, Norwich

    J. E. Sumberg

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  1. J. E. Sumberg
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Sumberg, J.E. Livestock development policy in The Gambia: A reassessment. Trop Anim Health Prod 24, 193–203 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02356744

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02356744

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