Determinants influencing adoption of climate-smart technologies among smallholder dairy farmers in Nakuru County, Kenya

Dairy farming provides a significant household income globally. In Kenya, annual milk production stands between 5.2 and 5.76 billion liters, falling significantly short of the projected national demand of 12.76 billion liters by 2030. Climate change further threatens the sustainability of smallholder dairy farmers in Nakuru County. Although Njoro Sub-County has great potential for dairy, adoption of climate-smart technologies remains low, contributing to low milk productivity. To facilitate successful uptake of climate-smart technologies, issues that affect adoption need to be understood and resolved. It is against these concerns that the present study was carried out to examine the socio-economic and institutional factors that affect the adoption of climate-smart technologies by the Smallholder dairy farmers in Njoro Sub-County. Cross-sectional survey design and multi-stage sampling were used to select 110 respondents. Data was collected through questionnaires, observations, and analyzed with a multivariate probit model. Analysis revealed that gender positively and significantly influenced the adoption of improved fodder. Marital status significantly influenced the uptake of improved fodder and had a negative but significant influence on biogas. Similarly, household size had a negative but significant influence on zero grazing, rainwater harvesting, and improved fodder. Land size negatively and significantly influenced adoption of zero grazing, while group membership had a negative and significant influence on improved fodder. Access to extension services negatively and significantly influenced adoption of biogas systems, while market access positively and significantly influenced adoption of improved fodder and hay and silage. Road status had a negative but significant influence on the adoption of hay, silage, and agroforestry. These results demonstrate that the uptake of climate-smart technologies is influenced by a combination of interconnected factors that influence the ability to adopt them. The research will form the basis of formulating policies that will improve uptake of climate-smart technologies in Nakuru County.