Cattle Farmers’ Preferences for Disease-Free Zones in Kenya: An application of the Choice Experiment Method
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Date
2011Author
Otieno, David Jakinda
Ruto, Eric
Hubbard, Lionel
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Management of livestock diseases is important in ensuring food safety to consumers
in both domestic and export markets. Various measures are prescribed
under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) agreement of the World
Trade Organization. In order to prevent the spread of trans-boundary cattle diseases,
the SPS agreement recommends the establishment of Disease-Free Zones
(DFZs). These have been implemented successfully in some major beef-exporting
countries, but in Kenya are still at a pilot stage. To understand Kenyan
farmers’ preferences on the type of DFZ that would be readily acceptable to
them, a choice experiment was conducted using a D-optimal design. Results show
that farmers would be willing to pay to participate in a DFZ where: adequate
training is provided on pasture development, record keeping and disease monitoring;
market information is provided and sales contract opportunities are guaranteed;
cattle are properly labelled for ease of identification; and some monetary
compensation is provided in the event that cattle die due to severe disease outbreaks.
Preferences for the DFZ attributes are shown to be heterogeneous across
three cattle production systems. We also derive farmers’ preferences for various
DFZ policy scenarios. The findings have important implications for policy on the
design of DFZ programmes in Kenya and other countries that face similar cattle
disease challenges.
Citation
Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 62, No. 1, 2011, 207–224Publisher
Department of Agricultural Economics
Description
Journal article