People have different reasons for keeping game on your smallholding. They might be looking at game production in the same way as they will keep livestock, for meat and other products. Or, they might offer hunting or ecotourism facilities. There are, nevertheless, a number of factors to consider when thinking about keeping game on a smallholding or small farm.

The game farming industry is poorly regulated. In 2006 the Department of Agriculture published a draft policy on game farming for public comment. However, the SA Smallholder was unable to find a final document, so uncertainty still exists. One has to obtain a permit to keep game. Twelve game species were reclassified as farm animals in July 2016, in accordance with the Animal Improvement Act. A further 33 wild species were registered in July 2019, bringing the total registered species to 45.

Click here to read more on keeping game on your plot with advice from an expert on page 13 of the July edition of the SA Smallholder Digital Magazine.

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