Abstract

This study was conducted to ascertain the extent of adoption of improved dairy husbandry practices and its relationship with the socio-economic characteristics of the dairy farmers in Ada’a district of Oromia State, Ethiopia. It was undertaken in eight purposively selected peasant associations/kebeles of the district from which thirty dairy farmers were selected randomly. The study revealed that the overall extent of adoption of improved dairy husbandry practices in the study area was found to be about 50.44%. Mass media exposure, training on dairy farming and knowledge of the dairy farmers on dairy husbandry practices had positive and highly significant relationship with the adoption of improved dairy husbandry practices. Education status and experiences of the dairy farmers on dairy farming and participation of the dairy farmers in various dairy farming related organizations also had positive and significant relationship with adoption of the improved dairy husbandry practices. The independent variables considered in the present study explained about 34% variation (r² = 0.34) in adoption of the improved dairy husbandry practices.

Key words: Adoption, dairy farmers, husbandry practices, socio-economic characteristics.