Dairy goat production practices in Kenya: Implications for a breeding programme

摘要

SmallholderdairygoatfarminginKenyaisincreasinglybeingpromotedbydevelopmentorganizationsandpolicymakersasanoptiontoboostincomesoffarmersandtoimproverurallivelihoods.HeiferProjectInternational-Kenya(HPIK),anon-governmentalorganization,initiatedadairygoatmultiplicationprogrammein1994inthreedifferentagro-ecologicalzonesinKenya.However,productionpracticesinfluencingthesustainabilityofthemultiplicationandfuturebreedingprogrammeshavehardlybeenstudied.Thepresentstudyaimedtodocumentdairygoatmanagementpracticesinordertobetterunderstandthepotentialsandconstraintsofthedairygoatmultiplicationandfuturebreedingprogrammes.Atotalof108beneficiariesoftheHPIKdairygoatprojectwereinterviewedintheCoast,NyanzaandtheRiftValleyprovincesusingasetofpre-testedstructuredandsemi-structuredquestionnaires.Informationonsocio-economiccharacteristicsandmanagementpracticesofthefarmerswerecollected.nbsp;Resultsarepresentedintheformofdescriptivestatistics,andchi-squareandt-testsdonewhereappropriatetoestablishthestatisticalsignificanceorotherwiseofobservations.Incomegenerationandmilkwererankedtopasreasonsforkeepingdairygoats.Goodmanagementpracticeswereevident,buthighvariationwasfoundinfeeding,healthmanagementandgeneralhusbandrypractices,andthisaffectedtheoverallperformanceofthemultiplicationprogramme.Averagemilkproductionat1.9litresperdaywaslowerthanorclosertothatofcrossbredgoats.Twinningratewasfavourable(51%)butmortalitywasrelativelyhigh(26%).Constraintswererelatedtoinsufficientresources(e.g.,land,feedandfinances)andtheexternalmarketratherthanlackoftechnicalinformation.nbsp;Forsustainabilityofdairygoatmultiplicationandbreedingprogrammestargetingpovertyalleviation,theinitiativeshouldbecommensuratewiththefarmer#8217;scapacitytoensuresuccess,i.e.,appropriatemessagesandtechnologiesbasedontheunderstandingofthefarmer#8217;sproductionobjectives,optionsandconstraints.