Farmers’ and AI Technicians’ Characteristics and Their Impact on AI Technology Adoption, Utilization and Its Efficiency in Ethiopia

The AI delivery system in Ethiopia constrained with various technical, infrastructural and financial problems and thus it is said to be inefficient in terms of genetics and productivity improvement. A study conducted in 2017,2018 and 2019 in Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNPP) and Tigray regional states of the country to provide information on the impact of farmers’ and AI technicians characteristics that influence the adoption, utilization and efficiency of Artificial Insemination (AI) technology in Ethiopia. The overall mean age of AI technicians in the four studied regions was about 35 years. The total number of AI technicians in 2017/18 was 1,293 of which 93 (7.2%) were female. The engagement of women in the AI delivery system increased in 2017/18 from 1.8% to 7.2%. About 42% of the total AI technicians considered in this study trained for 45 days while the other 22%, 32%, and 7% trained for a period of three, six and nine months, respectively. AI technicians in the four study regions served as AI technician for an average of 8.17 years. Experience of AI technicians was positively correlated with the number of inseminations during regular (r=0.144), peak (r=0.159*) and off (r=0.219**) seasons. However, it was found to be negatively correlated with service per conception (r=-0.034). The average dairy farming household’s family size in the four studied regions was 6.18 persons per household. Total household income, income from livestock sale and livestock products was significantly different ( p <0.05) among the four regions. Keywords: Adoption, Experience, Extension, Households, DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/58-01 Publication date: April 30 th 2020