Transfer and adoption of technology: the case of sheep and goat farmers in Qwaqwa

[摘要] English: It is evident from the literature studied that very little is known about the characteristics and farmlevel factors (predictors) contributing to or affecting the adoption of livestock veterinarytechnologies of small ruminant (sheep and goat) farmers in former homelands and rural areas ofSouth Africa. This study contributes by identifying and evaluating critical factors (variables) thatpredict the transfer, adoption and utilisation of livestock veterinary technologies by small ruminantfarmers in Qwaqwa, a former homeland of South Africa.A wide selection of variables had to be tested in this study due to the absence of previous studies.Logit and multinomial logit models are used to select predictors of adoption of five differentlivestock veterinary technologies. Of the 34 possible predictors, 20 were selected in one or moreof the seven different logit models.The suspension of veterinary surgeon services provided by the government at sheering sheds andfarmer days before 1994, contributed to an increase in the costs of services, inputs and information.Together with the deterioration of infrastructure and institutions, this caused a collapse of thelivestock veterinary technology transfer process in Qwaqwa. Farmers who want to adopt thistechnology (potential adopters), cannot do so because it became too expensive (increasedtransaction costs). When the assumption of elastic supply of services or inputs, and increasedtransport costs due to the farm's location is violated (traditional definition of adoption - potentialadopters grouped with non-adopters), potentially misleading conclusions can be made regarding the significance of variables (predictors) which contribute to technology adoption. It is for this reasonthat an adapted definition of adoption (potential adopters grouped with adopters) should be usedin future research.The results of medication technology indicate that grouping of livestock medication is essentialif research on the characteristics of farmers using these technologies have to be estimated. The factthat former homeland farmers react on what they see when it comes to usage of veterinarymedication technologies, making it more likely for them to adopt therapeutic medication fortreatment (external, internal remedies and antibiotics) rather than prophylactic medication forprevention (vaccines), is evident throughout this study. Vaccine technology showed the lowestadoption level of the four medication groups studied.The high adoption rates of external parasite remedies (no non-adopters) and internal parasiteremedies (two non-adopters) confirm this conclusion. However, there is a severe lack of basicknowledge amongst farmers on the correct application of these remedies as the majority (86%) ofthe farmers applied these remedies incorrectly. The most important predictors of the adoption ofantibiotics is access to roads. This medication technology is urgently needed when an animal is sickand access to roads decreases the cost of obtaining the drug.Small ruminant farmers in this study tend not to be full adopters of all the different livestockveterinary technologies simultaneously. The fact that only 20 per cent of the farmerswere adopters of veterinary surgeon services as well as full adopters of external parasite remediesand partial adopters of internal parasite remedies, antibiotics and vaccines, confirms thisconclusion.The efficiency of the present extension services in Qwaqwa on veterinary livestock technologies isvery poor. Extension visits did not emerge as a significant predictor of adoption of any of thelivestock veterinary technologies. The reappointment of a state veterinary surgeon, the retrainingof inexperienced extension officers, the improvement of infrastructure and the development offarmer-to-farmer extension programmes, using the sheering association chair persons andyoung, educated and progressive farmers, must receive the highest priority in agricultural policymaking.The implementation of an affordable minimum herd health prophylactic package cancontribute to the correct adoption of medication technologies resulting in higher farming efficiency,better profits and contribute to the alleviation of poverty of former homelands and rural areas ofSouth Africa.

[发布机构] University of the Free State