Abstract:
South Africa has two types of animal farming systems, being the commercial industry and subsistence farming in
more rural areas, with commercial farmers having more access to veterinary services. To cater for the absence of sufficient
veterinary service, the country allows farmers to access certain over the counter medications (stock remedies),
as a way to assist them to farm sustainably and profitably. However, with any drug use, their true benefits are only
realized following correct use. The aim of this study was to describe and assess the adequacy of the current use of
veterinary drugs by rural-based farmers. A scheduled structured questionnaire with close-ended questions and direct
observation was employed. The most important finding was the absence of proper training in the area, with 82.9%
not receiving any training related to livestock production or use/handling of stock remedies, highlighting the urgent
need for proper training. Of interest, a large proportion of the farmers (57.5%) left the care of their animals to herders.
Concerns were also noted in the application of withholding periods, transport of medication, disposal of medication,
calculation of drug doses, correct route of administration and carcass disposal with no difference in response
between farmers receiving training and those who didn’t. These finding not only indicates the importance of farmer
training, but shows that for such training to be effective, information should not only cover farming activities but
must include primary animal health care and an understanding of information contained in package leaflets. It would
also be important to ensure that herdsmen are also included in such training initiatives as they are the primary careers
of the animals.
