Preferences of Malawian Goat Farmers Regarding Method of Instruction and Characteristics of Technology Adopters
Abstract
A developing country in southeast Africa, Malawi relies heavily on smallholder farmers who account for 70% of the country's gross domestic product. While the country has benefited from substantial donor programs over many years, it has until very recently suffered from chronic food insecurity at both household and national levels. More than half of the population in Malawi is classified as poor, which poses a serious constraint to agricultural growth. Goat production offers several advantages in this regard, as goats are an inexpensive source of milk and meat protein for sectors of the population that cannot afford beef, pork or fish. This study explored preferences of Malawian goat farmers among four technology disseminators: government extension workers, extension field staff from non-governmental organizations, agro-dealers and lead farmers. The study also examined the preferences of goat farmers regarding commonly used methods of instruction, and the characteristics of adopters of goat production and management technologies in the Blantyre and Salima districts of Malawi. Blantyre district is located in the southern region of Malawi; Salima district is located in the central region, along the shores of Lake Malawi. Data were collected from 76 goat farmers who submitted to structured interviews in the study areas. The study was designed with the goal of making recommendations for existing extension programs to better serve goat farmers. Significant differences were found in the preferences regarding technology disseminators and methods of instruction between farmers who belong to groups and those who do not. Preferences did not vary significantly between adopters and non-adopters; however, some demographics distinguish farmers in these two categories. NGOs and agro-dealers were the least preferred technology disseminators, and leaflets were the least preferred method of instruction. Results revealed that more women than men raise goats in the two study districts. Landholding sizes were very small for the goat farmers participating in this research. The Malawian Government should design interventions deliberately tailored to women with small landholding sizes if goat production in the two districts is to develop substantially. Also recommended is an extensive, nationwide evaluation of the effectiveness of using lead farmers in technology message dissemination. Additional research is needed to help extension fulfill its mission of serving the needs of smallholder farmers.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Brady, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Agricultural education
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