Factors Influencing Poultry Production Among Poultry Farmers in Eldoret Town, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.

Abstract

This study was conducted in Eldoret town of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The purpose of the study was factors which influencing poultry production among poultry farmers in the town, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, using Stochastic Frontier Production and Cost Frontier Analysis approach. .The objective of the study were to establish how farm inputs influence poultry production, to determine how socio-economic factors influence poultry production, to determine how technology adaptation influence poultry production and lastly to assess how availability of market influence poultry production. Data for analysis were collected from a sample of 100 poultry farmers derived from a target population of 300 farmers who were registered with Uasin Gishu County Government. Data were collected in the months of April and May 2016.in seven estates within Eldoret town. Multi-stage, purposive, random sampling techniques were applied in selecting the farmers who were included in the sample. The data collected solicited information in the form of farm inputs such as land area under poultry farming, quantity of feeds used, quantity of vaccines administered, quantity of labour used and quantity of energy used and socio-economic factors, which include age of the farmer, level of education, experience in poultry farming, engagement in other income generating activities other than poultry farming and access to credit. The Result shows that a 1% increase in land use would result to 0.2018 percent increase in output, majority (53%), 53 out of 100 of the poultry projects farmers are middle aged adults at (31-40)years, in conclusions the study established that among the socio-economic variables under study, except engagement in other activities ,and access to credit , other variables namely; education, age and farming experience were found having negative significant correlation with poultry production of all the selected estates ,The study therefore recommends that government should lowers the cost of electricity to affordable rate ,control the inflation rate in the country that makes cost of living and other inputs which affect poultry farming to be high.