Open AccessAnalysis of Improved Indigenous Chicken Adoption Among Smallholder Farmers: Case of Makueni and Kakamega Counties, Kenya
Author(s) -
Christopher Kamau,
Lucy W. Kabuage,
Eric Bett
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of agricultural extension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2311-8547
pISSN - 2311-6110
DOI - 10.33687/ijae.007.01.2809
Subject(s) - indigenous , business , context (archaeology) , productivity , food security , poverty , agricultural science , production (economics) , socioeconomics , socioeconomic status , farm income , food policy , agricultural economics , economic growth , geography , agriculture , economics , environmental health , population , biology , archaeology , ecology , macroeconomics , medicine
Indigenous chicken (IC) production is a source of food security and income among smallholder farmers within high potential areas and semi-arid lands (ASAL). The demand for IC eggs and meat is anticipated to increase threefold by the year 2020 by health conscious consumers. However, potential of IC to contribute to household incomes and poverty alleviation in ASAL is constrained by slow maturity of IC and low productivity. Hence, to address these constraints improved indigenous chicken (IIC) technologies have been developed and introduced to smallholders in high potential area and ASAL. However, only a few smallholder farmers have adopted the IIC technologies. Therefore the objective of this study was to determine the effect of farmer socioeconomic characteristics on adoption and intensity of adoption the IIC technology in Makueni and Kakamega counties. A total of 384 households were sampled using multi-stage sampling to collect data through interviews. The collected data was analyzed using a double hurdle model. The results suggest that sex of the household head, farm size, group membership, which had not been previously identified in IIC studies as a significant variable, distance to training centre, off-farm activities and IIC awareness significantly affected adoption decision of improved IC. On the other hand education of the household head, household size, farm size, source of information on IIC and awareness on IIC had significant effects on the level of adoption. The recommendations from this study have an implication on extension policy, land use policy, food policy, collective action and pricing policy in the context of technology adoption in Kenya.