Review on Factors Affecting the Participation of Smallholder Farmers in Improved Chicken Rearing in Ethiopia

Abstract

The main aim of this seminar paper is to review factors affecting the participation of smallholder farmers in improved chicken rearing in Ethiopia. Improved chicken rearing plays an important role by increasing smallholder farmers' household food security and income generation as well as increasing gender equity, amongst the rural poor. To increase the chicken contribution to income and dietary diversity of the household; a ministry of agriculture and rural development of the country have been multiplied and disseminated several improved chicken breeds to the smallholder farmers over the last fifty years in different parts of regions of Ethiopia. Improved chickens such as Rhode Island Red, White Leghorn, Bovine brown, and Issa brown, were imported and disseminated to smallholder farmers to increase egg and meat production, income generation, job creation for the smallholder farmers, and genetically to improve the native chicken breeds through on-farm research and public extension programs in Ethiopia. Even if an improved chicken were disseminated to smallholder farmers in the country, smallholder farmers' discussion to participate in improved chicken rearing system was limited to traditional rearing system and different factors as well as different challenges. Those challenges and factors are lack of extension follow-up, lack of complementary inputs, diseases, unavailability of credit services, market problem, agro-ecological problem, and less gender participation. Based on this seminar paper of review, it was concluded that extension agencies and other concerned departments should manipulate these crucial factors to bring about inclusive and desirable changes in the participation of smallholder farmers in improved chicken rearing that; can towards improved poultry technologies in Ethiopia.