Cargando…

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

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...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Lima, Eliana, Hopkins, Thomas, Gurney, Emma, Shortall, Orla, Lovatt, Fiona, Davies, Peers, Williamson, George, Kaler, Jasmeet
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5749824/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29293617
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190489
_version_ 1783289645354713088
author Lima, Eliana
Hopkins, Thomas
Gurney, Emma
Shortall, Orla
Lovatt, Fiona
Davies, Peers
Williamson, George
Kaler, Jasmeet
author_facet Lima, Eliana
Hopkins, Thomas
Gurney, Emma
Shortall, Orla
Lovatt, Fiona
Davies, Peers
Williamson, George
Kaler, Jasmeet
author_sort Lima, Eliana
collection PubMed
description 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.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-5749824
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2018
publisher Public Library of Science
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-57498242018-01-26 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 Lima, Eliana Hopkins, Thomas Gurney, Emma Shortall, Orla Lovatt, Fiona Davies, Peers Williamson, George Kaler, Jasmeet PLoS One Research Article 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. Public Library of Science 2018-01-02 /pmc/articles/PMC5749824/ /pubmed/29293617 http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190489 Text en © 2018 Lima et al http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
spellingShingle Research Article
Lima, Eliana
Hopkins, Thomas
Gurney, Emma
Shortall, Orla
Lovatt, Fiona
Davies, Peers
Williamson, George
Kaler, Jasmeet
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
title 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
title_full 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
title_fullStr 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
title_full_unstemmed 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
title_short 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
title_sort 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
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5749824/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29293617
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190489
work_keys_str_mv AT limaeliana driversforprecisionlivestocktechnologyadoptionastudyoffactorsassociatedwithadoptionofelectronicidentificationtechnologybycommercialsheepfarmersinenglandandwales
AT hopkinsthomas driversforprecisionlivestocktechnologyadoptionastudyoffactorsassociatedwithadoptionofelectronicidentificationtechnologybycommercialsheepfarmersinenglandandwales
AT gurneyemma driversforprecisionlivestocktechnologyadoptionastudyoffactorsassociatedwithadoptionofelectronicidentificationtechnologybycommercialsheepfarmersinenglandandwales
AT shortallorla driversforprecisionlivestocktechnologyadoptionastudyoffactorsassociatedwithadoptionofelectronicidentificationtechnologybycommercialsheepfarmersinenglandandwales
AT lovattfiona driversforprecisionlivestocktechnologyadoptionastudyoffactorsassociatedwithadoptionofelectronicidentificationtechnologybycommercialsheepfarmersinenglandandwales
AT daviespeers driversforprecisionlivestocktechnologyadoptionastudyoffactorsassociatedwithadoptionofelectronicidentificationtechnologybycommercialsheepfarmersinenglandandwales
AT williamsongeorge driversforprecisionlivestocktechnologyadoptionastudyoffactorsassociatedwithadoptionofelectronicidentificationtechnologybycommercialsheepfarmersinenglandandwales
AT kalerjasmeet driversforprecisionlivestocktechnologyadoptionastudyoffactorsassociatedwithadoptionofelectronicidentificationtechnologybycommercialsheepfarmersinenglandandwales