Factors affecting adoption of Boer goats production in Sembabule District

Abstract

Livestock production in Uganda contributes 5.25% and 17% to total GDP and agricultural GDP respectively. Despite efforts to improve and increase goat production, most farmers are still keeping local breeds and even some farmers who have adopted the technology keep crosses. No study has addressed Boer goat adoption so far to see how the farmers in Uganda and Sembabule in particular are taking up the technology. It is thus important to study why adoption of improved meat goat is still low in Sembabule district and to identify the constraints in the adoption of this technology. The broad objective of this study was to assess factors that affect the adoption of improved meat goat production in the rangelands of Sembabule District. Literature reviewed indicated that profitability of the technology under consideration, the risk associated with adoption, household size, investment requirements, land size, credit facility, education, experience in goat farming, distance to market, membership to farmer groups, source of labor, sex, extension services were considered to be the major factors that influence the adoption of a new technology. A cross sectional study design was adopted where 150 randomly selected farmers were interviewed. Descriptive analysis and Tobit model were employed to answer the objectives of the study. Education, access to credit, goat farming experience, membership to farmer organization and land size owned had a positive and significant relationship on the intensity of adoption of Boer goats. Whereas distance to market and land size squared had a negative and significant relationship to the intensity of adoption. Household size and sex of the house hold head do not statistically influence the intensity of adoption of Boer goats. Policies geared at improving education system, strengthening extension services, appropriate land policy reforms and providing financial support to farmers as well as organized markets will help a lot in promoting adoption of improved meat goats’ production in the district.