Socioeconomic aspects of rearing camels under two production systems in Sudan

摘要

Inthisstudy,aquestionnairewasdesignedtoinvestigatesomesocioeconomicaspectsofrearingcamelsundersemiintensiveandtraditionalnomadicproductionsystemsinSudan.Theilliteratecamelherderswere24%and88%,andtheiraveragesageswere51.4±9.8and30.2±7.2years,inthesemiintensiveandthenomadicproductionsystem,respectively.Caringofqualityofherdsintermofproductivityratherthanherdsizeisthemajorcharacteristicofthesemiintensivesystemwhichispracticedbymoreeducatedherders.Theyarefullyadoptingregulartwotimesmilkingperdaycoupledwithsellingcamelmilk,thereturnofwhichhaspositivelycontributedtotheirwellbeing.However,caringofquantity(herdsize)whichisveryimportantsociallycoupledwithirregularmilkingassociatedwiththeconservedattitudeagainstsellingmilkarethemostimportantcharacteristicsofthenomadicsystem.AlthoughtheconceptistraditionallyunacceptedamongcamelherdersinSudan,interviewednomadicfamiliesshowedhowever,moreflexibilityconcerningsellingcamelmilk.Actually,48%ofthenomadicintervieweesaresellingfermentedmilk.Nevertheless,sellingsmallruminantsand/oryoungmalecamelsisstillthemajorsourcesofincomefornomadicherders.Thesalariesofhiredlaborersinadditiontothecostoffeedingexplainthehighcostofrearingcamelsinthesemiintensivesystem.However,participationofhouseholdinhusbandrypracticesinadditiontothefreeutilizationofnaturalpasturesreducedthecostofraisingcamelstotheminimuminthenomadicsystem.