Abstract
Effective promotion of artificial insemination (AI) by private providers in pastoral areas requires stakeholders’ opinion in shaping the direction of their adoption. A structured questionnaire was administered to 384 pastoralists in Kajiado and Narok counties, Kenya to elicit data on willingness to pay for AI services. Double bounded contingent valuation methodology was adapted in computing their willingness to pay for AI services. Results revealed that 90% of farmers were aware of AI of which 51.7 and 50.5% were willing to pay for the services in Kajiado and Narok counties respectively, for an average of Kenya Shillings 1, 853, reflecting a premium of 23.6% placed on AI by pastoralists with reference to the base price of Kenya Shillings (KES) 1,500 offered for exotic breeds in Kenyan highlands. Awareness, herd size and access to extension services significantly increase farmers’ willingness to pay unlike farm income. The study recommends utilization of existing extension networks of community animal health workers to ensure relevant information about AI is disseminated among pastoralists and perform free AI trials on lead pastoralists’ animals to earn others’ confidence. Key words: Artificial insemination, willingness to pay, pastoralists, adoption, contingency valuation, awareness, Maasai.
Highlights
In Kenya livestock sub-sector is an integral part of the agricultural sector contributing about 4% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) mainly from the production of milk, meat, eggs, hides, skins and wool (KNBS, 2018)
Awareness of artificial insemination (AI) does not guarantee its uptake as noted by Chinese consumers towards biotech rice
This reflects a premium of 25.4% placed on AI by pastoralists with reference to the base price of Kenya Shillings (KES) 1500 offered for exotic breeds in Kenyan highland
Summary
In Kenya livestock sub-sector is an integral part of the agricultural sector contributing about 4% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) mainly from the production of milk, meat, eggs, hides, skins and wool (KNBS, 2018). The bulk of the livestock are found in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), comprising 84% of Kenya‟s total land mass. These areas are characterized by low, unreliable and poorly distributed rainfall, supports a quarter of the country‟s total human population of 40.5 million (Ojigo and Dabom, 2013; World Bank, 2010) as well as 60% of the livestock population and most of the country‟s wildlife (Ngugi and Nyariki, 2005). Most of Kenya‟s small-scale farmers occupy mainly this region, pursuing traditional livestock production with traditional technologies. These farmers are unlikely to meet the growing demand for food from an increasing population (Leisinger and Schmitt, 1995; GoK, 2012).
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