Impact of Artificial Insemination Technology Adoption on Milk Yield and Livelihoods of the Household in Saesie-Tsaedaemba District Eastern Zone, Tigray, Ethiopia

This study was aimed at the impact of AI technology on milk production and livelihoods of the farmers in Saesie-tsaedaemba District Eastern Zone, Tigray, Ethiopia. In the study area, AI is a proven technology that has been used for genetic improvement for more than 15 years. So far, there has been little empirical information about the impact of AI on milk yield and livelihoods of the households. The purpose of this paper is therefore to estimate the impact of AI technology on milk yield and household livelihoods. The study was a survey design that used both primary and secondary data sources. The three-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 204 respondents. Both descriptive statistics and econometric models were applied to analyze the data. The result of the logit model for matching shows that family size, training, literacy, access to extension service, mobile ownership, and supplementation of concentrated feed were important variables that had positively associated and significantly influenced the adoption of AI technology whereas, farmland size, distance to FTC and distance inseminator office had shown a negative relationship. The result of PSM indicates that adopters of AI technology are seemingly better-off than non-adopters in the majority of outcome indicators such as milk yield per cow per lactation, annual income of the household, total physical asset holding which is converted into cash and non-food expenses; implying that AI technology has a considerable impact on milk yield and livelihood of the farmers. Hence, intensive work such as training, better extension service, providing a reasonable incentive to AI technicians, especially during weekends and holidays, hardship and overtime allowances should be provided to improve the adoption of AI technology as a result to improve milk production and productivity, increase household income and achieving food security as well as overall improve wellbeing of the households.