Adoption Of Modern Dairy Technologies And Its Impact On Milk Production In Nzaui Sub-County, Makueni County

ABSTRACT

Dairy production is a biologically efficient system that converts large quantities of

roughage in the tropics to milk. Milk production levels are determined by the levels of

technologies applied to the dairy enterprise. However, information on levels of adoption of

dairy technologies especially in the arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs) of Kenya is scanty.

This study thus sought to evaluate the extent of adoption of modern dairy technologies and

its impact on milk production in Nzaui Sub-County of Makueni County which is one of

the ASAL counties in the country. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design involving

the use of questionnaires was used to collect relevant data from a total of 306 livestock

keeping households in Kawala, Ndovea and Matiliku sublocations. Data was analyzed

using descriptive statistics and logit regression estimations with the help of SPSS

econometric software. The study showed that the adoption of improved dairy technologies

was low, about 13% across the study sites. Over 96% of the farmers’ conserved livestock

feeds, while 63% of the farmers used animal supplementation technologies. Factors which

influenced farmer rearing of improved animal types included gender, marital status, and

income levels. For fodder conservation technologies, the most important factors included

marital status, training, and extension services. The adoption of animal supplementation

was influenced to a great extent by income levels and occupation rather than household

endogenic factors. In regards to milk yield, farmers with larger farm sizes, more incomes

and training access were better placed to achieve high milk yields than those with lesser of

those characteristics. It was concluded that there is need for gender-specific interventions

to enhance increased adoption of improved livestock technologies by farmers especially in

regards to access to improved germplasm by all farmers. Access to improved dairy cattle

is the first step to enhancing milk yield, followed by other interventions. Other areas of

interventions include enhanced access to technologies that promote fodder production and

promotion of access to credit facilities for acquisition of dairy breeds.