Abstract :
This study evaluated a goat-based aid programme developed to facilitate the recovery of
vulnerable people in an earthquake affected area in Central Java, Indonesia. Farmers, organised
in farmers’ groups, received a package of one male and four female goats. In total, 72
farmers from 6 farmers’ groups participated in this study. Farmers’ groups could be categorised
as ‘successful’ or ‘failed’, based on the ability of members of farmers’ groups to repay
their credit and to continue their goat keeping, and the continuation of the farmers’ group.
Individual interviews and focus group discussions were used to explore factors affecting
success and failure of the programme. Goat performances were determined by monitoring
(re) production of 246 does over a period of 1.5 years. All farmers agreed that the goat-based
aid programme was useful and, for the majority, it improved their economic situation. Being
well prepared, experience in keeping animals, and the management practised were main
internal factors for success of the programme. External factors were government support,
land availability, and management of the farmers group. Animal factors were adaptability
of the goats, low mortality rates and numbers of animals distributed to one farmer. All
doe production performances parameters were significantly different between does kept
by successful farmers group members and does kept by members of failed farmers groups.
Successful farmers group members had 2.5 times higher value added from goats in the
period that the credit was not yet settled and 1.4 times higher value added when the credit
was settled than failed farmers group members. The goats based aid programme made a
valuable contribution to the livelihoods of the majority of farmers in the disaster attacked
area, in terms of economic results and social status. The initial assessment of the beneficiaries
by the local government should have considered prior experience with livestock.
The goats distributed were thoroughly screened by the donor. Nevertheless, the local government
could have increased the commitment of the beneficiaries by giving them the
opportunity to select the goats themselves, and by sanctioning farmers who failed to repay
their goat credit
