Student Story: Dorcas Jepngetich - Master of Science in agricultural and applied economics.

of Science in Agricultural Economics and Resource Management. She is one of the international students sponsored by the Centre for Agricultural Policy Analysis (APA-ACEII). She has some prior experience in the field of extension and impact evaluation assessments as she was part of a project at VI Agroforestry in Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties in Kenya. She is currently pursuing an MSc in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) with a research area focusing on the technical efficiency of Dorper sheep production in Uasin Gishu county, Kenya.

Her motivation towards this topic is the observations that were made over different farmers adopting the new technology because of the morphological structure of these new sheep breeds. The dorper traits included: outstanding performance in growth, adaptability to several grazing conditions, and longer breeding seasons, respectively, compared to other British sheep breeds. Early maturity (within 4-5 months), high conversion rates of feeds, satisfactory reproductive fitness, and resistance to extreme weather conditions. The poor-resource farmers who are characterised by small and fragmented pieces of land in addition to low-income levels are at the centre of sheep farming. Dorper sheep farming is also easy to manage and therefore can be done alongside other economic activities, this concerns the time and attention/services they require daily. They, therefore, need to be guided in terms of what to produce, how to produce, how much to produce, and for whom. This is aimed at overcoming the issue of underproduction or overproduction in the context of scarce factors of production in agriculture.

This study is going to provide an evidence base to either the adopters or the non-adopters of the technology by providing statistics on how to distribute resources in a way that can lead to the best possible outcomes in terms of production, supply, consumption, and the overall economic welfare of every farmer. Further, this study will inform policymakers and businesses in making informed decisions that promote sustainable growth, technological advancement, and improved standards of living. The global population growth and increased demand for meat, offer farmers, a business opportunity to improve their income and livelihoods. The Kenya Agricultural Livestock Organization (KALRO) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) mission of improving food and nutritional security and reducing poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe, and sustainable use of livestock is very significant in ensuring better lives through livestock farming. This therefore calls for a flexible business that can respond to the trends in the market; and dorper is a perfect option to invest in, under livestock industry.