Smallholder Farmers Adoption of Climate Smart Livestock Production: Practices, Status and Determinants in Hidebu Abote Woreda, Central Ethiopia

Abstract

AbstractThis study aimed at identifying the status, determining factors, and challenges in adopting climate smart livestock production practices by smallholder farmers. Three-staged sampling techniques were used to select the targeted area and 233 sample smallholder farmers respondents. Data were collected mainly using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted to complement the household survey data. Various descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the collected survey data. An ordered logistic regression model was used to analyze the determinant factors which affect the adoption status of the sampled smallholder farmers. The result revealed that the most adopted practices were composting (85.41%) and manure management (70.39%) while the least adopted technologies were biogas generation (3.86%) and rotation grazing (22.32%). The adoption status of the sampled smallholder farmers was also categorized into low (19.74%), medium (67.81%), and high adopter (12.45%). The high cost of improved breed, use of manure for fuel, free grazing, lack of information and awareness were the major constraints to adopting the technology. The result also revealed that education, grazing land, total livestock holding, and extension agent contact contributed significantly and positively to the adoption status, while the distance from the water source had an insignificant and negative effect on the adoption status of climate smart livestock production practices.