Asghar Ali
Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA
*Corresponding author: aali64@wisc.edu
Livestock farming is a critical component of the agrarian economy of District Vehari, Punjab, serving as a vital source of income, food security, and livelihood for rural households. However, the sector's productivity remains significantly below its potential due to the low adoption of improved management practices. This study investigated the constraints hindering the adoption of improved livestock management practices among farmers in District Vehari, Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected from 300 randomly selected livestock farmers through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were applied using SPSS 26. Results revealed that awareness levels were relatively high for vaccination and disease prevention (90%), balanced feeding (84%), and breed improvement (70%). However, adoption rates were considerably lower, at 66%, 62%, and 42%, respectively, with record-keeping showing the lowest adoption (24%). The major constraints identified were economic, institutional, technical, and socio-cultural. Among these, high input costs (Mean=4.48, SD=0.74) and inadequate veterinary services (Mean=4.26, SD=0.82) ranked as the most severe barriers. Correlation analysis revealed that education (r=0.487) and income (r=0.462) were strongly and positively associated with adoption, whereas age showed a negative association (r=-0.216). The study concludes that improving access to credit, veterinary services, and farmer education programs is essential for increasing adoption and enhancing livestock productivity in the region.