Contribution of Economics to Design of Sustainable Cattle Breeding Programs in Eastern Africa: A Choice Experiment Approach

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5. Concluding Remarks

The basis of this study in estimating the economic value of cattle traits is to provide an
input in designing sustainable cattle breeding programs in Africa based on cattle keepers’
preferences in trypanosomosis disease prevalent areas. Results of the choice experiment
conducted indicate that the values estimated are of reasonable magnitude and compares
relatively well with computations from the household survey and previous research. A
likelihood ratio test indicates that the mixed logit model, with random taste parameters
provides better information about the utility function than the multinomial logit model.

Differences in preferences are observed across production systems. In as much as
trypanotolerance is an important trait across the production systems, other traits are also of
significant importance. For instance, in the crop-livestock system, traction ability for bulls
contributes more to utility compared to trypanotolerance while in the pastoral systems, high
fertility is more important. Therefore, breeding for trypanotolerance ought to integrate other
preferred productive traits such as traction fitness, fecundity as well as other adaptability traits
such as drought tolerance. Preference differences are also observed within the crop livestock
systems of Kenya and Ethiopia. This may be attributed to taste heterogeneity across
respondents. This reveals the need to further characterize households based on their tastes
differences. This may be achieved through latent class analysis, which we will pursue.

From this study, we suggest the need to design a breeding program within a
framework that may work for the target communities, taking into consideration production
system differences and cattle keepers preferences and circumstances. Conservation and use of
already existing trypanotolerant breeds with desirable qualities as breeding stock in a breeding
program may be a viable strategy. In order for the breeding program to be sustainable,
intervention programs related to breeding, feeding, record keeping and general management
would need to be in place.

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