Outline of goat farming in the municipality of Anajatuba, Maranhão, Brazil

Resumo

Goat farming has been present in Brazil since the colonial period, currently the Northeast has the largest contingent of these animals, where they are exploited to obtain meat, milk and leather. The objective of this work was to analyze the profile of goat farming in the municipality of Anajatuba, Maranhão (MA), highlighting the characteristics of the management of the creation and the preponderant socioeconomic aspects involving the activity. For this, eight goat farmers from four villages in the municipality of Anajatuba-MA were interviewed. A pre-structured questionnaire was used with data associated with the owner, property, herd, general management and commercialization of the products. Data were tabulated and presented as percentage averages. The results showed a production chain based on subsistence, with a prevalence of men with an average age of 46 years and low level of education, without planning and technological resources, prevalence of the extensive system of creation dedicated to meat exploitation, with deficient sanitary and reproductive management. There is an inefficiency in the complex that forms the dynamism of the goat production chain in the municipality of Anajatuba-MA.