Adoption of Innovative Livestock Technologies: Potentials and Constraints among the Smallholder Farmers

Abstract

The study was undertaken to know the features of implementation and identify the
conveniences and limitations of innovative livestock technologies to facilitate the researchers
and farmers for refining the adoption level as well as to enhance the animal and poultry
productivity. The north-central part of Bangladesh was chosen and 4 different agro-ecological
zones were selected for the study. Categorical data were gathered from the selected farmers
through oral interviews and they were presented graphically. Technologies were developed
mostly for research and industrial uses by the researchers but they were not adopted sufficiently
by the farmers. Farmers adopted the technologies mainly to get more production and income
generation. Farmers had easy access to improved breeds and vaccines and moderate access to
off-farm activities and transport facilities. Lack of availability of disease control technologies
and absence of proper demonstration were the common and frequent constraints for the
smallholder adopters. Also, inadequate information for access to technologies, lack of technical
knowledge and absence of reliable technical assistance were the remarkable problems in
adoption. It is recommended that farmers should have easy access to extension offices,
providing input subsidies and special financial interventions for the higher rate of adoption of
innovations by the smallholders.