Analyzing dominance of dairy climate smart agricultural practices and implications on milk yield: Evidence from Kenya

The study aimed at identifying and clustering farmers into typologies of dominant dairy CSA practices and assessed their linkage to milk production. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was applied in identifying typologies from a sample size of 665 dairy farmers in selected counties in Kenya. Five typologies; health management dominated typology (Typology 1), health and animal husbandry dominated typology (Typology 2), health, animal husbandry, manure and improved feed dominated typology (Typology 3), health, animal husbandry, improved feed and fodder dominated typology (Typology 4), and health, animal husbandry, improved feed and fodder and fodder conservation dominated typology (Typology 5), were identified. The results showed low dominance of over half of the practices studied. Besides, there was low uptake of dairy CSA practices since majority of the dairy farmers belonged to Typologies 1 and 2, which had the lowest number of dominant practices. There were significant differences in milk yield across typologies. Typology 5, with the highest number of dominant practices, had the highest milk average, while Typology 1 with the least number of dominant practices had the lowest milk yield. Higher milk yield was attributed to composting, hay and silage making. The study recommends intensified promotion of dairy CSA practices with attention to fodder conservation-related practices so as to exploit co-benefits of improved milk yield.