Impact of improved poultry production technologies among smallholder indigenous chicken farmers in Kakamega And Makueni– Kenya
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Date
2018-05
Authors
Kamau, Christopher Njuguna
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Indigenous chicken (IC) farming contributes to the livelihoods of many
smallholder farmers in Kenya. It constitutes 80% of the poultry population in
Kenya. Kakamega and Makueni are Counties where most of smallholder farmers
rear IC. However, IC production has been constrained by several bottlenecks
including; unimproved genotype, diseases and increased mortalities resulting in
low productivity. A strategy by scientists and stakeholders, production
technologies such as; improved indigenous chicken (IIC) genotypes and
fabricated chick brooders have been developed and disseminated to the farmers
with an aim of increasing productivity. However, the status of adoption and the
impacts of the IIC technologies on productivity remained scanty. Therefore, the
general objective of this study was to determine the level and intensity of
adoption and impact of poultry production technologies among smallholder
farmers in Kakamega and Makueni. Data were collected through interviews with
a sample of 384 household’s selected using multi-stage sampling. Results
revealed that majority (60%) of the households practised semi-intensive
production system. A double hurdle approach was used to analyze the level and
intensity of use of IIC and fabricated brooders. Results showed that farm size,
gender of the household head, group membership, distance to the training centre,
off-farm activities and IIC awareness significantly affected the adoption
decisions. Household size, group membership, age of the household head, access
to credit, off-farm activities and flock size were major determinants of intensities
of adoption. Propensity score matching approach was used to analyze the impact
of IIC on egg productivity. Results showed significant impact of IIC on egg
productivity/hen/year. Gender of the head negatively affected egg production
while level of education, group membership, distance to the training point and
other off-farm activities positively affected egg production. Gross margin analysis
was used to determine the profitability of IC. Rearing of unimproved IC was a
profitable enterprise. However, rearing IIC proved to be even more profitable
with annual gross margins of Ksh. 14,238 and Ksh. 9,824 per 100 birds with IIC
and IC production system systems, respectively. Based on the findings, it is
recommended that policies should target strengthening the IIC farmer’s network,
in order to access information on IIC production. Second, access to markets for
farmers requires improvement to improve profits. Additionally, there is a great
need to encourage enterprise diversification among IC farmers. Further, policies
should target on developing programs that support more women in poultry
production.
Description
A thesis submitted to School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development in partial fulfillment of the requirement for Master of Science degree in Agribusiness Management of Kenyatta University. May, 2018