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Experience in establishing a herd book for the local Nguni breed in South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

M.M. Scholtz
Affiliation:
Post Graduate School in Animal Breeding, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa (Corresponding address ARC - Animal Production Institute, Private Bag X2, Irene 0062, South Africa)
K.A. Ramsay
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Private Bag X138, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
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Summary

For many years the performance of the indigenous livestock of Africa was regarded as inferior. It was only when the results of research and performance recording were published that the value of a breed such as the Nguni was acknowledged. This resulted in an interest in the breed from commercial farmers, which lead to the establishment of a breeder's society in 1986, but with no official pedigrees it was a challenge to establish a herd book.

This article describes how the principles of upgrading were initially used to develop a herd book until the Nguni was recognized as an established breed in 1996. Subsequently a system of first registration was implemented. This system caters for emerging black farmers in South Africa who want to become seed stock breeders and allows for the good quality Nguni genetic material available to the communal black farmers to enter the seed stock industry.

Résumé

La performance des animaux indigènes Africains a été pendant longtemps considérée comme médiocre. C'est seulement après la publication des recherches et résultats de leurs performances que la valeur des races comme la Nguni a été reconnue; d'où l'intérêt soudain des fermiers pour cette race; intérêt qui résultera en la formation d'une Association d'éleveurs de la race Nguni en 1984; toutefois en l'absence des données fiables concernant leur pedigree, il était difficile d'établir le “herd book” de ces animaux.

Cet article décrit comment les méthodes d'amélioration génétiques avaient été entreprises pour l'établissement d'un “herd book” qui conduisit à la reconnaissance de la Nguni en tant que race en 1996; ce qui d'office résultat en la mise sur pieds d'un système d'inscription qui, d'une part pourvoit une place pour les fermiers noirs Sud-africains désireux de devenir éleveurs d'animaux de type pur sang Nguni; de l'autre ce système prévoit qu'une semence Nguni de bonne qualité soit disponible parmi les fermiers noirs; ce qui leur faciliterait l'accès au sein de l'Association d'éleveurs de la race Nguni.

Resumen

Durante mucho tiempo se ha considerado el rendimiento de las razas indígenas africanas como mediocre. A raíz de la publicación de una serie de resultados e investigaciones sobre sus rendimientos el valor de algunas razas como la Ngumi ha sido reconocido; de ahí el interés de algunos ganaderos por esta raza. Este interés llevo en 1984 a la creación de una asociación de ganaderos de la raza Nguni. Sin embargo, dada la escasez de datos fidedignos sobre el pedigrí era difícil establecer un libro genealógico de estos animales. Este artículo describe cómo se llevaron a cabo los métodos de mejora genética para establecer un libro genealógico que llevó al reconocimiento de la Nguni como raza en 1996. Esto fue posible gracias a la puesta en práctica de un sistema de inscripción que, por una parte, da espacio a los ganaderos negros sud-africanos que desean criar animales de tipo pura sangre Nguni, por otro lado, este sistema preve que el semen de buena calidad de Nguni sea disponible para los ganaderos negros, lo que le facilitará el acceso a la asociación de ganaderos de raza Nguni.

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2007

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References

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