Perceptions and willingness to adopt Artificial Insemination: a case of cattle farmers in Bojanala Platinum District

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate cattle farmers' perceptions and willingness to adopt Artificial Insemination (AI) technology as an alternative to the traditional bull-to-cow breeding method. A structured questionnaire and a focus group discussion were used for data collection, and a sample size of 167 farmers was selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse data. The results of descriptive statistics revealed that the majority (76%) of the respondents were male with a secondary level of education (54%) and an age range of 46 - 65 years. Also, the average household size of the interviewed farmers was found to be between five (05) and eight (08) members per household. Moreover, the results showed that only 42% of the farmers owned land. For support services, the farmers (91.13%) also indicated that they had access to extension services, and 59% indicated that they were not satisfied with the monthly visits, while 98.29% posited that they did not receive any information about AI technology. The study found a significant positive perception and willingness among farmers towards adopting AI, influenced by factors such as gender, farm size, and income. In conclusion, cattle farmers in the study area have a positive perception and willingness towards AI Technology as it increases productivity. However, they are concerned about the use and cost of AI technology. The study recommends targeted training and government interventions to reduce AI costs and enhance farmer education on its benefits.