POULTRY FARMERS’ WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR BLACK SOLDIER FLY (Hermetia illucens) LARVAE MEAL: EVIDENCE FROM FIVE SELECTED TOWNS IN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

As the supply of feed in poultry production is inadequate and fails to guarantee sustainable feeding at an affordable price, there is a need for the diversification of feed. However, in the voluminous of the empirical literature available on the demonstration of insects (particularly Black Solider Fly) as food and feed candidates for both humans and animals, there was limited empirical evidence assessing poultry farmers’ preference for insect-based feed in Ethiopia. This study assessed 700 poultry farmer’s willingness to pay for Black Solider fly larvae meal in five selected towns of Ethiopia. The willingness to pay data was collected using open-ended contingent evaluation method through personal interview. This primary data was processed using descriptive statistics and econometric models. The determinate factors of willingness to pay decision and amount of willingness to pay were governed by double hurdle model. In first decision phase, 97.86% of the enumerated farmers positively accepted Black Soldier Fly larvae as a poultry feed. This was confirmed by mean willingness to pay of 2688.98 ETB/quintal. This positive response to the larvae was positively attributed to access and use of the extension services, marital status of poultry farm manager, distance to poultry feed market, consumption of the product of chicken fed on an insects and attitude of perceiving insects as a good source of feed, whereas sex impact the decision negatively. Likewise, the desired price was positively determined by age and sex of the poultry farm manager, number of chickens own, total farm income, having contract agreement with feed traders and residence of farm, whereas household size and distance to poultry feed market have had significant and negative influence. Therefore, policy makers or concerned stakeholders should consider these variables (for instance awareness and diffusion of knowledge) in designing strategy needed to enhance promotion of this larvae meal; where it should be inclusive.