Summary
The delivery of veterinary services in most of sub-Saharan Africa has undergone
substantial changes, with the private sector gaining increasing recognition as an
alternative to state provision. Given this policy shift, the authors argue that a
better understanding of the behaviour and decision-making processes of smallscale farmers in animal health management is urgently required, to guide policy
decisions regarding the delivery of animal health services. Whether the
involvement of the private sector will improve overall efficiency in the delivery of
veterinary services will depend greatly on the demand response of livestock
producers who must make decisions about the health of livestock.
The authors briefly review the decision-making process in small-scale farming
systems, the economic nature of animal diseases and disease control and the
models that have been used to guide resource allocation for disease control. To
gain an improved understanding of the behaviour and decision-making processes
of small-scale farmers, the authors propose a conceptual model including
variables that relate to characteristics specific to small-scale farmers and farms,
economic factors, institutional setting and biophysical factors. Two possible
approaches are proposed for the economic analysis. Agricultural household
modelling allows the derivation and testing of hypotheses regarding the demand
elasticities for veterinary services, while qualitative choice models are better
suited to the analysis of determinants behind the choices of farmers. The authors
conclude that an urgent need exists for empirical research in this area.
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