research
Lessons learned from the research
)LUVWO\ breeding and hunting are the two
land-use forms responsible for the highest
income and production output, but also cost
the most from an expenditure point of view
regarding capital layout.
6HFRQGO\ the two land-use forms that
generate the lowest income are ecotourism
and by-products. We, however, are of the
opinion that these two land uses will increase
in the future due to the decrease in game
prices, which makes this land-use less popular
and, coupled with that, the onslaught against
hunting by anti-hunting groups. We already
experience that some product owners who
mainly focused on hunting in the past are
converting to ecotourism or a combination
of the two. Game meat products (by-products)
are also expected to increase in the near future
as proposed legislation can favour this.
7KLUGO\it was interesting to see that mixed
farming is an integrated part of wildlife farming
(ranching) and tourism. This is an indication
that land owners use their land optimally to be
sustainable in the long run.
/DVWO\ interviewees were asked what the
main challenges in the industry are, and the
following were mentioned: government issues
(permits and licences), game issues (genetic
traits, diseases), infrastructure (developing
lodges, fences), management issues,
environmental elements (drought, climate
change), the current economic situation in
SA, and wildlife (market saturation), to name
but a few. QFor more information, contact the authors at
[email protected] or
[email protected]The results show
that 42% of capital
income generated is
due to breeding.