Abstract
Decisions of breeding schemes in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa tend to be either government or project driven, with a focus on upgrading local breeds. However, there is scant information on the individual animal traits that smallholder farmers prefer. The aim of this study was to examine farmers’ preferences of dairy cattle traits using a discrete choice experiment methodology. The study was conducted through visits to 555 randomly selected dairy farms in the sub-humid Eastern coast and temperate Southern highlands of Tanzania. Choices of animal traits were presented to farmers who were asked to evaluate choice alternatives based on attribute levels and finally select the alternative with the highest utility. The choice experiment data were analysed using a conditional logit model. Coefficients for milk yield, fertility, feed requirement, temperament and diseases resistance were overall statistically significant (p < 0.05). In order of perceived importance, farmers were willing to keep a cow with high milk yield (coefficient = 1.43 ± 0.059), good fertility (0.85 ± 0.050), easy temperament (0.76 ± 0.066), low feed requirement (− 0.56 ± 0.092) and enhanced tropical disease resistance (0.48 ± 0.048). The purchase price coefficient was negative (− 0.001 ± 0.0003), indicating that farmers would prefer improved dairy cattle at affordable prices. Farmers’ preferred traits were influenced by agro-ecological zone and type of production system (extensive vs intensive). The study provides an opportunity for breeding programme designers to take farmers’ preferred dairy traits into serious consideration.
Highlights
Smallholder dairy farming, characterised by small herds of 2– 3 milking cows, provides a livelihood for more than 150 million farm households worldwide (FAO 2010; DGEA 2015)
The aim of the present study was to determine the most important traits preferred by farmers in smallholder dairy farming systems using both qualitative and quantitative methods
Choices of animal traits were presented to the farmers who were asked to evaluate choice alternatives based on attribute levels and select the alternative with the highest utility
Summary
Smallholder dairy farming, characterised by small herds of 2– 3 milking cows, provides a livelihood for more than 150 million farm households worldwide (FAO 2010; DGEA 2015). The International Livestock Research Institute has recently conducted participatory studies—mainly surveys in smallholder dairy production systems—as part of various projects, such as Dairy Genetics East Africa, Tanzania Dairy Genetics, East Africa Dairy Development and More Milk-IT, to identify the important traits that farmers consider when selecting dairy cattle (DGEA 2015). These studies have been mainly based on qualitative research methods, which are limited in revealing trade-offs between traits of interest. Quantitative methods of eliciting preferences such as best-worst scaling and discrete choice experiments have not been used so far in studies aiming to support farmers’ decisions for selecting the best cows in smallholder dairy production systems
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