Impact of Disseminating Localized Technologies on Agricultural Income

Abstract

In Kenya, rural poultry farming has been recognized as an important tool for income generation as well as the improvement of livelihood for the rural poor. However, most farming households keep indigenous chickens in scavenging systems characterized by low productivity. In response to this, the Korea Programme on International Agriculture (KOPIA) center in Nairobi collaborated with the County Government of Meru to disseminate localized technologies and provide technical support to indigenous poultry farmers using the model village approach. This paper aims to assess the impact of the project on participating poultry farmers in Meru County Kenya. Data was collected from beneficiaries and a control group through a survey of 236 households in the model villages. Descriptive analysis was used to compare production and profitability before and after situations for participating farmers and compare participating and non-participating farmers. Results indicate an increase in the use of poultry feeds, veterinary medicines and rearing of improved indigenous chicken breeds among participating farmers. Despite an increase in in the average variable cost of production by 213% and incidences of droughts, there was an increase in gross margin of 1190% attributed to higher eggs and chicken sales. The study recommends that future efforts should include collective marketing to improve market access and lower cost of production inputs. Assisting farmers to convert their groups to farmer cooperatives will not only enable get benefits of collective action, but can also access credit for farm improvements.