Constraints, livelihoods and technology adoption of village chicken producers in Uganda

Abstract

The study was conceived on realization that livestock farmers face numerous constraints despite existence of appropriate management technologies and local markets. Traditional backyard systems of low technology adoption compromise maximum benefits from the enterprises. The objectives of the study were to: determine adoption factors, assess experiences, constraints and opportunities for technology packaging and dissemination, and establish prospects for sustained and accelerated livestock technology uptake. The study was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative survey techniques based on Community Group Discussions, and 75 households selected using multi-stage and systematic proportion to size random sampling procedure, respectively. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression econometric modeling. Most (98 per cent) households kept indigenous chickens of mean flock size of 13 that directly contributed to about 10 per cent of overall farm income through sales of eggs and live birds. The enterprise is a hub for several cultural, nutritional and social capital household community needs. There is gender neutrality in ownership, management access to and control of benefits from chickens. The major constraints are diseases – precipitated and signified by lack of vaccines, high chick mortality, New Castle Disease (NCD) regular outbreaks; poor feeding and housing due to lack of knowledge on husbandry. T-test and chi square results on adoption of vaccination technologies show that vaccinators raised bigger flocks, belonged to farmer groups, were closer to weekly live bird markets, were wealthier in terms of cattle assets and land size and had more family labour compared to non-adopters. Logistic regression results show that market access, membership to farmers’ groups, wealth (cattle ownership) and flock size (tendency to commercialization) are the prime drivers of adoption of vaccinations among chicken farmers. It can be concluded that disease management especially through establishing a farmer-led vaccination system, enhanced flock and chick management through improved structures and feed supplementation are critical intervention areas for boosting chicken productivity. These findings suggest that access to live bird markets, and input supplies, combined input procurement, lack of a cold chain, availability of disposable income, and tendency to commercialization are key determinants of adoption of chicken vaccinations technology. It is recommended that village level chicken producer associations be strengthened to ease vaccine bulk purchase and management of vaccine cold chain. In addition producer exposure improved feeding, general health and housing technologies is necessary to further enhance chicken profitability.

Key words: community, distribution, farmer-managed, vaccination