Assessment of socio-economic factors influencing adoption of natural pastures improvement technologies in arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya

摘要

Livestockproductionplaysanimportantroleinthearidandsemiaridlandseconomythoughitisconstrainedbyintensivelynaturalpasturedegradation.Early1999,KenyaAgriculturalResearchInstituteKibokoresearchcentreincollaborationwithotherrelatedinstitutionsembarkedondesigninganddisseminatingappropriatenaturalpastureimprovementtechnologies.Defergrazing,over-sowingandreseedingtechnologiesweresomeofthetechnologiesrecommendedforrehabilitatingthedenudedpastures.However,duetogeophysicalconstraints,severelyresourceconstrainedlivestockfarmersandsomesocio-culturalfactorhavehinderedthepaceoflivestockproductioninthisareas.Themainobjectiveofthisstudywasthereforetoevaluatesocialandeconomicfactorsthatinfluencetheadoptionanddiffusionofnaturalpastureimprovementtechnologies.TwositeswerepurposivelyselectedinMakindu(agro-pastoral)andMashuru(pastoral)Sub-Countys.Ahouseholdsurveyusingsemistructuredquestionnairewasconductedtocollectprimarydataapplyingmulti-stagerandomsamplingprocedureconsistingof99households.Multibleregressionwasemployedtoestimatethefactorsthatsignificantlyinfluencedtheadoptionofnaturalpastureimprovementtechnologiesforimprovedlivestockproductivity.nbsp;Inthetwosites,themainfactorsaffectingadoptionofnaturalpastureimprovementtechnologieswereageandeducationlevelofhouseholdhead,landownershipsandaffiliationtofarmersgroup(s).Inaddition,inMakindusite,sex,formaltechnicaltrainingofthehouseholdandnumberofextensionvisitalsoinfluenceadoption.ForwideruptakeofnaturalpastureimprovementtechnologiesthestudyconcludedthatthebestapproachfordisseminatingnaturalpasturetechnologieswasthroughtheNongovernmentalorganizationsalthoughenhancedresearch-extensionlinkagewouldalsoplayabiggerrole.