Farmer perceptions and willingness to pay for novel livestock pest control technologies: A case of tsetse repellent collar in Kwale County in Kenya.

Tsetse-transmitted Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT) is one of the most important constraints to livestock development in Africa. Use of trypanocides has been the most widespread approach for the management of AAT, despite the associated drug resistance and health concerns associated with drug metabolites in animal products. Alternative control measures that target tsetse fly vectors of AAT, though effective, have been hard to sustain in part because these are public goods applied area-wide. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) and partners have developed and implemented a novel tsetse repellent collar (TRC) applied on animals to limit contact of tsetse flies and livestock, thereby reducing AAT transmission. The TRC has now advanced to commercialization. A household-level survey involving 632 cattle keeping households, was conducted in Shimba Hills region of Kwale County, where field trials of the TRC have been previously conducted to assess farmers' knowledge, perception, and practices towards the management of tsetse flies, their willingness to pay (WTP) for the TRC, and factors affecting the WTP. Almost all the respondents (90%) reported that tsetse flies were the leading cattle infesting pests in the area. About 22% of these correctly identified at least four AAT clinical signs, and even though many (68%) used trypanocidal drugs to manage the disease, 50% did not perceive the drug as being effective in AAT management (50%). Few respondents (8%) were aware of the harmful effects of trypanocidal drugs. About 89% of the respondents were aware of icipe TRC, and 30% of them were using the field trial collars during the survey. Sixty-three (63%) of them were willing to pay for the TRC at the same cost they spend treating an animal for AAT. On average farmers were willing to pay KES 3,352 per animal per year. Male educated household heads are likely to pay more for the TRC. Moreover, perceived high AAT prevalence and severity further increases the WTP. Wider dissemination and commercialization of the herd-level tsetse control approach (TRC) should be encouraged to impede AAT transmission and thus enhance food security and farm incomes among the affected rural communities. Besides the uptake of TRC can be enhanced through training, especially among women farmers. Author summary: Animal African Trypanosomosis is a tropical disease that is of economic importance in Sub-Saharan Africa. The livestock sub-sector supports approximately 600 million smallholders in developing countries through employment, income from livestock products, and improving crop productivity through draft power and manure. Efforts to reduce rural poverty and improve food security and nutrition, therefore, require utilizing livestock to their full potential. Trypanosomosis results in anemia, emaciation, productivity loss, and mortality, and remains a leading constraint to livestock development in Africa. To reduce the risks associated with the use of trypanocides, alternative control measures that target the vector- tsetse fly need to be developed and widely disseminated. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) and partners have—developed and implemented a novel tsetse repellent collar that shields animals from getting into contact with the vector, thereby preventing trypanosomosis transmission. The collar has now advanced to a commercialization stage. We conducted community and household-level surveys to assess farmer's knowledge, perception, and practices regarding tsetse pest and trypanosomosis, and their willingness to pay for the novel tsetse repellent collar. We found that the pest is the main cattle production constraint and the cause of the associated disease, although there exists a gap in the identification of the clinical signs of the disease. Besides, most farmers rely on trypanocidal drugs for the treatment of their animals despite their human health and environmental risks. However, the majority were willing to buy the newly developed canvas collar. A male head of a household with a higher level of education is likely to pay more for the novel tsetse repellent collar. Besides, perception of high prevalence and severity of AAT is likely to increase the willingness to pay for the herd-level technology. The findings emphasize the need for wider dissemination and commercialization of the tsetse repellent collar technology to reduce trypanosomosis transmission and hence enhance food security and farm incomes in the affected regions in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]