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The comparative advantage of urban goat production
Abstract Background Urban agriculture significantly contributes to food security. The two primary components of urban agriculture are livestock production and horticulture. The goat, Capra hircus, is one of the commonly raised food animals. Goats can be used to generate income, produce milk, meat, skins, furs (hairs) and manure and provide various sociocultural and ecological services. Objectives This study evaluates the significance of urban goat production and recommends ways to lessen the adverse impacts of urban goat production. Methods This report involved an in-depth interview with seven key informants in Adama and Addis Ababa cities. Results Goats can thrive in limited urban open spaces, scavenge leftovers from homes and open markets and browse on open public land. Goats can be incorporated into urban agriculture, in so doing contributing to a circular economy. Goats can thrive on a limited supply of water and feed and require less care and space. Goat farming is used to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change. Goats are naturally active, which makes them better at avoiding traffic accidents. Goats can be used to control bush encroachment. Goat farming in cities improves land use efficiency and food security. Being friendly animals, goats can be utilized to play with kids, and they can be a basic piece of metropolitan ecotourism. However, goats can harm urban green spaces; therefore, to avoid issues of this kind, goat production must be zoned. Conclusions Urban goat farming could add a new dimension to urban food security. Extensive pieces of empirical evidence need to be generated to enhance the adoption of urban goat farming. [Review] Goat Production, Supply Chains, Challenges, and Opportunities for Development in Vietnam: A Review Simple Summary: Over the last decade, the total goat population in Vietnam increased more than two-fold, from 1.29 million to 2.65 million heads. In spite of a transformation from extensive grazing to cut-and-carry intensive systems, more than three-fourths of goats in Vietnam are raised by small-scale producers. The demands for goat meat and milk are significantly increasing, leading to pressure for imports. Goat marketing primarily takes place through informal channels and is dominated by smallscale producers and traders. The formal goat market is poorly developed. The marketing research and statistical data on the goat value chain are scarce. This situation has led to an inconsistency in livestock supply and quality and, as a result, unstable pricing. Information and documentation regarding both horizontal and vertical linkages in the supply chain remain limited. Despite receiving strong support from the government and experiencing high demand, goat production and marketing systems have yet to achieve their full potential. This review overviews the current status of goat production and supply chains in Vietnam. It also identifies the main challenges and opportunities of, and provides suggestions through which improve, the nation’s goat production and marketing.
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Ahmad Bitaraf1, Nader Papi2, Farhad Mirzaei2 1. Animal Science Department, Yazd Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Yazd, Iran. 2. Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Karaj.  Fig.1. Male (left) and female (right) of Nadoshan goat History of goat breeding in the province In the past, Nadoshan town situated next to silk way was the place for passage of caravans, but now due to far distance from the main shuttle roads, past prosperity has been abated. This town is still one of the main centers of dairy production and also has many monuments. The husbandry industry in Nadoshan which is accounted as the most important and popular occupation in Yazd province belong to antique time. The time when a person known as Nadoshan came to today’s city to find water and suitable land. Nadoshan took out water from the ground by digging under –ground canals and started cultivation. Beside agriculture he also bought some livestock and brought them to Nadoshan. Thus, husbandry in Nadoshan region with the least detrimental to nature had been continued for several centuries, as always ranching and pastures conservation was always being complementary to each other. But today unfortunately with the existence and development of marines in this area, we are witness of pastures detrimental and demoralize of Nadoshan red breed, a kind of destruction which happening very fast, but their messages and effects are remaining in the area for a long time. Geographic distribution areas Nadoshan goat is native of Nadoshan place, but also distributed in other regions of province as in oghda district. Nadoshan is widespread at 90 km distance of province center and at geographical range of 46ﻣ, 31ﻣ to 15ﻣ, 32ﻣ latitude and 24ﻣ, 52ﻣ to 53ﻣ altitude. Average raining annually is 140mm. Goats for feeding are dependent on pasture and in winter, hand feeding for 15 to 30 days is performed. Population According to the statistics offered by Jihad-e Agriculture, the population of this race accounted for 70000 and the size of herd is changing from 150 to 500 heads. The methods of rearing Production and maintaining of Nadoshan goat herd is done by pasturing method and considering to the custom of special rearing, accurate partitioning of pasture sites in that region, seasonal birthing in herds and group migration at short time, goat keepers in their herding calendar during mating season use suitable selected bucks. To prevent autumn parturition in monsoon years, herd owners put bucks in separate herds and grazing with proper feed and regards hygienic principles, which terminological call them male pasturing. Then at the time of mating season leave the bucks for mating with does at suitable proportion. For this purpose, the bucks herd is not kept at special place and every year considering the pasture situation at regions that the aggregation of hers is low, they are grazing and access of farmers to them is almost the same. Supplementary feeding in this herd include barley and concentrate as flashing diet and during arid season for recovery of fiber in diet, straw also added to the supplement feed. Job creation According to the statistics offered by Jihad-e-Agriculture, Nadoshan area with about 400000 hectare of pasture land is the most important pastures of Yazd province. Approximately 200 households directly and 100 households indirectly engaged in livestock breeding and in this way, earning living costs. Besides, in Nadoshan due to different governmental services, migration of rural people to the cities has been stopped and this influenced on farmers to stay and rear Nadoshan goat. Appearance features Nadoshan goat is of rare and native breed of Iran which is small in size and produce milk and fuzz. The color of this breed is brown to dark red and majority of them are russet in color, but has white spots on head, hand, leg and ear. Some of goats are hornless but bucks have horn. This breed distributed in all cities of the province the most important breeding index of this animal is its high resistance against hard climate condition, especially highly tolerance to thirst and hunger during drought and long walking in pasture particularly at low rainy years. Table 1. Body dimensions of Nadoshan goat (cm)  Table 2. Annual production of Nadoshan goat (Kg)  Table 3. Reproductive characteristics of Nadoshan goat  Table 4. Economic traits of Nadoshan goat  Export As sustenance and existence of Nadoshan goat is on the base of economics of animal husbandry, the first step should be universal registration of this breed. The brand of Nadoshan goat products which are known for country must be tried to be global. According to the conservation and maintaining the native knowledge of Nadoshan region which is remained from the past races and with longtime of 8 thousand years, must use properly this heritance with desirable programming for improving Nadoshan animal husbandry. In this case proper situation for exporting different products with brand of Nadushanian goat like cheese which has tasty flavor would be assembled. This animal due to suitable meat production, excess consumption within the country, sold with substantial price in abroad markets such as Persian Gulf states. Items use of products The produced milk is supplied as raw or different processed products specially yoghourt and cheese (famous Nadoshan cheese) to native market or even outside of province. Cheese of Nadoshan goat is very desirable, with flavour and special taste which is exported to the next provinces. However, the goats of this breed provide considerable fuzz with high quality for utilization in handmade items. The Nadoshan manure is used as the best fertilizer for pistachio trees. Measures for identifying and genetic improvement In 1986 the operation of improving sheep and goat plan started in whole country, and in Yazd province in 1989 the plan started with 10 herds containing 5 goat herds and 5 sheep herds with the following purposes: 1. Conduction of animal breeding program in the herd. 2. Creation of industrial units of sheep and goat in vast area assigned to applicants. 3. Supply of produced bucks with high reproduction score in order to increase production of animals Suggesting guidelines to improve performance 1. Observe the proportion of animal population and capacity of pasture, with severe supervision of natural resources office to control this case and conflict with trespasser people. 2. Support of directors from farmers during drought for presenting subsidized forage and buying extra livestock with suitable price.  Fig.2. Flock of Nadoshan goat
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