Successes and Failures of Animal Nutrition Practices and Technologies in Developing Countries

The adoption of production systems, feeding and nutrition technologies has varied among countries and regions, depending on several factors related to the comprehension by scientists, technicians and livestock farmer. themselves, of the principles behind the technologies and cost-benefit relation of their implementation. Frequently, the first limiting factor is not identified and recognized. So, other interventions don´t generate the expected outcomes. One common situation that limited the expansion of innovative technologies is the distance between researchers and extension agents and farmers. Farmers and technical staff and academics should be together to analyze current challenges and to discuss alternative solutions. This requires a mechanism where everyone feels comfortable, at equal level with the rest of the participants, in order to freely express the concerns and ideas. Once a technology has been identified and accepted by all of ones, then the challenge is to finance its adoption, where risks should be ideally covered by the government. Experience has also shown that certain technologies spread by themselves, without programs and government support. Farmers are readily convinced of its value, usually by observing the technology being used by their neighbor farmers, and accept to make the necessary investments and efforts to adopt it, assuming the risk themselves. DOI:10.15528/2176-4158/rcpa.v15n1p1-8

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