Abstract:
A study was carried out in Kinondoni district in Dar es Salaam region with the aim of
establishing factors affecting adoption of AI technology by dairy farmers. Data were
collected using formal and informal interviews where structured questionnaires were
administered to 90 randomly selected dairy farmers from three wards. The data were
analysed quantitatively using descriptive analysis and Tobit regression. Results from
descriptive analysis indicated that dairy farmers who used AI technology were
significantly older (P <0.05) by 4.8 years and women had higher adoption proportion
(51.5%) than men (31.5%) and 65.7% of adopters had high knowledge level about AI
versus 10.9% of non adopters. Cattle belonging to adopters had significantly higher (P
<0.05) average milk yield by 2.3 litres. Among the total respondents, 61.1% used natural
mating, 28.9% used natural mating + AI and only 10% used AI alone to breed their
animals. Average cost of using AI service was higher than using natural service by Tshs
14 290/=. Majority of respondents (62.2%) indicated difficulty in getting AI services,
75.6% had their contact with extension agent made on request, 57.8% indicated
inadequate extension services and only 21.1% of respondents joined dairy farmers’
groups. Results from analysis of extent of adoption indicated that the rate of adoption of
AI technology was 38.9% implying that the uptake is low. Based on Tobit results, factors
positively associated with adoption and use intensity included education level, difficulty
in getting AI service, extent of extension visits and being a member of dairy farmers’
group or not. On the other hand factors negatively associated with adoption and use
intensity included sex and breed of dairy cattle. These results suggest the need to train
more inseminators and government to regulate AI service providers to ensure high
standard of AI service, strengthen extension services, promote formation of dairy farmers’
groups and conduct training to new and less educated dairy farmers to stimulate more
adoption of AI in the study area.
