Maina K W, Ritho C N, Lukuyu B A, Rao E J O
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053-00625, Nairobi, Kenya.
International Livestock Research Institute, C/O Bioversity International, P.O.Box 24384, Kampala, Uganda.
Heliyon. 2020 Jun 29;6(6):e04335. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04335. eCollection 2020 Jun.
The sustainability of the livestock sector in sub-Saharan Africa is negatively affected by limited access to high-quality fodder in adequate quantities. The effects of climate change further exacerbate feed availability. Therefore, there is a need to develop feasible cost-effective strategies for improving the year-round feed supply. Improved planted forages such as Brachiaria grass have been recommended as one of the strategies of alleviating feed scarcity, especially in drier agro-ecological zones. This study analyses the socio-economic determinants of adoption and the impact of adopting Brachiaria grass for feed sufficiency and increased milk production. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method was used to assess the determinants and impact of the adoption of Brachiaria grass. Empirical results indicate that the adoption of Brachiaria grass led to a significant increase in milk production by 27.6% and feed sufficiency by 31.6%. The positive impact of Brachiaria grass is consistent with the role of agricultural technologies in improving the productivity, income, and welfare of smallholder farmers. The adoption of Brachiaria grass is influenced by age of farmer, tropical livestock unit (TLU), type of animal breed, perceived benefits of the technology, access to extension, and farmer group membership. The study recommends holistic policy approaches that promote the widespread adoption of Brachiaria grass. There is also a need for an effective information dissemination pathway for Brachiaria grass.
撒哈拉以南非洲畜牧业的可持续性受到优质饲料获取量有限的负面影响。气候变化的影响进一步加剧了饲料供应问题。因此，需要制定可行且具成本效益的战略来改善全年饲料供应。改良种植的牧草如臂形草已被推荐作为缓解饲料短缺的战略之一，特别是在较干旱的农业生态区。本研究分析了采用臂形草的社会经济决定因素以及采用臂形草对实现饲料自给和提高牛奶产量的影响。倾向得分匹配（PSM）方法用于评估采用臂形草的决定因素和影响。实证结果表明，采用臂形草使牛奶产量显著提高了27.6%，饲料自给率提高了31.6%。臂形草的积极影响与农业技术在提高小农户生产力、收入和福利方面的作用相一致。采用臂形草受到农民年龄、热带牲畜单位（TLU）、动物品种类型、对该技术的感知效益、获得推广服务的机会以及农民群体成员身份的影响。该研究建议采取整体政策方法来促进臂形草的广泛采用。还需要为臂形草建立有效的信息传播途径。
