Abstract:
This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of adoption of improved local chicken production methods case studies of UMADEP and ILRP SUA projects. The study was conducted at Kinole ward in Morogoro and Maneromango ward in Kisarawe District, Coast Region, of Tanzania. The objectives of this study were to assess the extent of adoption of improved LC keeping methods, to assess the effect of intervention to the household income and to identify constraints to adoption of improved LC production methods. In a cross-sectional survey, 110 LC keepers were purposively selected based on implementation of interventions, 52 from Maneromango and 58 from Kinole wards. A control group with 20 households, where no intervention was done were randomly selected from two villages at Maneromango ward. Through a questionnaire study data was collected from December 2011 to February 2012. Although there was statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) in adoption between the two groups where intervention was done adoption was in general low, and none of the LC keepers adopted a full intervention package. The findings further showed that the mean income of the intervention group was statistically significant (p < 0.05) higher than that of control group. Major challenges mentioned to hinder LC keepers from adopting the recommended practices were lack of capital (66.4%), chick mortality (41.8%) and unavailability of feeds (40.9%). LC production is an important income generating as well as it is very helpful to cover nutritional need of the resource poor farmers hence there is a need to facilitate LC keeper in the formation and participation in the groups aimed at enhancing social capital. Extension agents should be encouraged to have frequent contact with the farmers with adequate information on new technology.
