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  that supports efforts to bring about change and innovations for sustainable development.

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Our Experiences

Project Mobilising the self–organisation of 30.000 livestock farmers

Part of Participatory Extension Approaches (PEA) innovations

Broadening Agricultural Services and Extension delivery (BASED) program


Duration 02.2005 - 12.2006
Country / Region South Africa
Blouberg Municipality of the Limpopo Department of Agriculture 
Services delivered At the beginning of 2005, Limpopo Department of Agriculture (LDA) indentified Blouberg Municipality as one of the priority areas to implement the “Blouberg Livestock Mobilisation” program. Smallholder farmers in Blouberg municipality were not well organized to access market opportunities. Farmers also experienced problems of overgrazing and lack of a proper system of controlled grazing. The process guiding the implementation of the initiative was  as follows:
  • Launching of the programme by LDA management to sensitize stakeholders and beneficiaries in the municipality
  • Farmers’ and local leaders’ awareness creation in the selected villages
  • Facilitating the process in the villages to identify and prioritize farmers’ needs
  • Facilitating the establishment of livestock farmers’ committees at village and ward level leading to representation in the municipality
  • Identifying available local resources and options to address core issues of livestock improvement in the area
  • Facilitating the linkage of farmers demand with possible service providers likely to address their core issues    
Achievements Two experienced PEA facilitators were deployed to facilitate the programme in line with the commodity focus adopted by LDA. They managed during a period of 20 months to achieve the following results:
  • Facilitated the establishment of a livestock farmer organization representing 30.000 farmers in 50 villages.
  • In order to reach out to many farmers in a short period, facilitators supported the the establishment of four livestock cluster organizations, each composed of 5 to 10 villages.
  • With the support of CASP  funding, farmers managed to erect 50 km fence, constructed four crush pens, 2 dipping tanks and one sales pen.
  • As part of the revitalization of grazing camps, farmers managed to eradicate poisonous plants in 35 villages.
  • The livestock cluster organizations manage to coordinate auction sales for their animals
  • Farmers managed to collect money and hire security guards to patrol  the route along the established fences and report any damage to the committee members
  • By the end of 20th month, the livestock mobilization process had covered 50 villages and 30.000 beneficiaries.
  • From this process, two issues became clear:
  1. firstly it became clear how to develop a process of channelling public funds to communities and interest groups. In this initiative, livestock farmers were mobilised to access infrastructural materials from LDA through a CASP,
  2. secondly, new forms and ways of facilitating local organisational development (LOD) emerged. In facilitating the mobilisation of many interested livestock farmers much quicker, the facilitators used a cluster model
Partners Livestock Farmer Organisations

Traditional Authorities
Funding Organisation Livestock Farmer Organisations

Traditional Authorities
PICOTEAM members involved Michael Netshivhodza and Freddy Mudzielwana
Links / Publications Netshivhodza, M., Mudzielwana, F., Sefara, M & Mojodo, J. (2006). Blouberg Livestock Mobilisation: Part of the PEA Integration process. A presentation made during the PEA review and planning workshop held at Bela Bela Lodge, 16th -20th January 2006 (Unpublished)