Adoption of artificial insemination technology and its intensity of use in Eastern Tigray National Regional State of Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Background The study was focused on the adoption and intensity of adoption of artificial insemination (AI) Technology in Saesie-tsaedaemba District of Tigray Region, Ethiopia. AI is one of the most important and valuable dairy technology that has been used for genetic improvement for several years in the study area. However, there was little empirical information about major factors affecting adoption decision and intensity of AI in the study area. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the status of AI technology adoption and its intensity and to identify major factors influencing the adoption and intensity of use of AI technology. Methods A multistage sampling technique was applied to select study sites and sample households. A structured interview was used to collect data from a total of 204 sample farmers. Besides, key informants interview was used to triangulate, validate, and enrich the findings of the household interview. Results Results of the tobit model regression revealed that households’ level of literacy, milk yield, income, training, access to extension service, mobile ownership, supplementation of concentrated feed and hybrid cattle ownership were found to have a positive and statistically significant relationship with adoption and intensity of AI technology, whereas distance to farmer training centre (FTC) office had shown a negative relationship. Conclusions Adoption of context-based AI technology plays a paramount importance in achieving farm household's food security. The extension system should give more emphasis to the capacity building which is pivotal for introducing, adoption, and scaling out of best practices of dairy technologies. Besides the effort of the government, the participation of the private sector in AI technology is important to achieve wider adoption of AI technology.