| dc.description.abstract | The adoption of dairy farming technologies has contributed immensely to increased milk
production, and can help to alleviate poverty and hunger, reduce the threat of diseases
and ensure environmental sustainability in developing countries. Adoption of dairy
technologies among small holder farmers is driven by the objective of the increased milk
production for both home consumption and commercial purposes. However, farmers face
serious constraints in nutrition, diseases control, cattle upgrading, general management
and change in government policy. The specific objectives of this study were to find out
smallholders receptability of adopting the new technologies; types, nature and patterns of
adopting technologies; benefits accruing from adoption of technologies and factors that
inform adoption or non-adoption of dairy farming technologies.
This study focused on three technologies farmers have adopted in dairy farming to
increase productivity, namely: genetic improvement, feed management technologies and
animal health care. The study was carried in Githunguri Division of Kiambu County,
where sample size of 98 was selected.
The study findings show that a majority of the respondents keep Friesian breed of cattle
as it produces the higher quantities of milk compared to the other breeds and therefore
useful for commercial purposes and home consumption. On the feeding management,
famers feed their cattle on fodder and supplement with feed concentrates to exploit the
full potential of dairy breeds’ capacity to produce more milk. Therefore technologies that
enhance productivities are adopted to improve performance. The major challenge the
farmers face in dairy farming is the high cost of the feed as fodder grown is inadequate.
The study found that majority of farmers seek animal health care providers from qualified
animal health providers. Scarcity of land was found a major challenge to milk production.
The study recommends that farmers should be trained by Extension Agents on intensive
farming technology to make use of limited land to produce more yields. There is need for
the government to provide legal and policy frameworks that identify improvement of
animal feed, animal health services and feed management of important activities in the
dairy industries. | en_US |
