Comparing smallholder poultry husbandry practices between adopters and non-adopters of Newcastle Disease vaccine in Tanzania

Abstract

GALVmed Monitoring and Evaluation commissioned a study to assess whether there is any relationship in smallholder poultry production between the use of the Newcastle Disease (ND) vaccine and other improved poultry practices. The study aimed to look for quantitative comparative data on husbandry practices of vaccine adopters vs non-adopters, to attempt to ascertain poultry improvements in the groups. The information from this study could be useful for GALVmed 2 important areas: Informing a strategy for market development: should market development initiatives for improving animal health be accompanied by wider husbandry extension activities, or does this occur ‘naturally’ to any extent? Understanding impact: when comparing the productivity of adopters and non-adopters of an essential animal health input, is any observed difference likely to be significantly influenced by the usage of other products and practices? These questions are important for GALVmed and represent an area where many contrasting opinions and anecdotal observations are offered. This study is a first step in bringing quantitative evidence to the debate. However, it does not address any aspects of causation behind the possible relationships; this is therefore a potential area for future studies. This study was conducted in India and Tanzania. This is an output from the ‘Global Alliance For Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed): Phase 2 – Protecting Livestock and Saving Human Lives’ programme