With the exception of privately owned commercial animal production enterprises the greater numbers of ruminant livestock in the ten Southern African states considered in this treatise are owned by smallholder farmers based on communal land use rights. Except for the tsetse fly (Glossina spp) infested areas, the climatic and vegetational conditions of Southern Africa appear inherently ideal for ruminant livestock production. However, measured against this tremendous potential only a relatively insignificant amount of meat and meat products, originating almost exclusively form the privately owned properties, trickle out of Southern Africa. This paper explores probable social developmental issues related to poor smallholder farmer livestock productivity and discusses possible remedial actions.
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