Drivers for precision livestock technology adoption: A study of factors associated with adoption of electronic identification technology by commercial sheep farmers in England and Wales

Autor: Peers Davies, Jasmeet Kaler, Orla Shortall, Fiona Lovatt, George Williamson, Emma Gurney, Eliana Lima, Thomas Hopkins
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Questionnaires
lcsh:Medicine
Literacy
0403 veterinary science
Mathematical and Statistical Techniques
Surveys and Questionnaires
Marketing
lcsh:Science
Anecdotal evidence
media_common
Mammals
2. Zero hunger
Response rate (survey)
Multidisciplinary
Eukaryota
Agriculture
Ruminants
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
Exploratory factor analysis
Professions
England
Research Design
Vertebrates
Physical Sciences
Agricultural Workers
Engineering and Technology
Profitability index
Factor Analysis
Statistics (Mathematics)
Research Article
Livestock
Farms
040301 veterinary sciences
media_common.quotation_subject
Equipment
Research and Analysis Methods
Animals
Statistical Methods
Communication Equipment
Government
Wales
Sheep
Survey Research
business.industry
lcsh:R
Organisms
Biology and Life Sciences
Information technology
Multivariate Analysis
People and Places
Amniotes
040103 agronomy & agriculture
0401 agriculture
forestry
and fisheries
Population Groupings
lcsh:Q
Electronics
Cell Phones
business
Mathematics
Zdroj: PLoS ONE, Vol 13, Iss 1, p e0190489 (2018)
PloS one
PLoS ONE
ISSN: 1932-6203
Popis: The UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe. However, the low profitability of sheep farming sector suggests production efficiency could be improved. Although the use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) tools could allow a better use of flock resources, anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of EID technology, and explore drivers and barriers of adoption of related tools among English and Welsh farmers. Farm beliefs and management practices associated with adoption of this technology were investigated. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 22%. Among the respondents, 87 had adopted EID tools for recording flock information, 97 intended to adopt it in the future, and 222 neither had adopted it, neither intended to adopt it. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to identify farmer beliefs and management practices significantly associated with adoption of EID technology. EFA identified three factors expressing farmer’s beliefs–external pressure and negative feelings, usefulness and practicality. Our results suggest farmer’s beliefs play a significant role in technology uptake. Non-adopters were more likely than adopters to believe that ‘government pressurise farmers to adopt technology’. In contrast, adopters were significantly more likely than non-adopters to see EID as practical and useful (p≤0.05). Farmers with higher information technologies literacy and intending to intensify production in the future were significantly more likely to adopt EID technology (p≤0.05). Importantly, flocks managed with EID tools had significantly lower farmer- reported flock lameness levels (p≤0.05). These findings bring insights on the dynamics of adoption of EID tools. Communicating evidence of the positive effects EID tools on flock performance and strengthening farmer’s capability in use of technology are likely to enhance the uptake of this technology in sheep farms.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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