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<p>Aflatoxin’s contamination in animal feeds is a global feed and food safety issue because it not only reduces the quality of the animal feeds and animal sourced foods but has detrimental health consequences on animals and humans. This is due to the fact that aflatoxin from animal feeds can be metabolized to animal milk. Beyond of being an important problem, the terrible effects of aflatoxins contamination in animal feeds are nevertheless not well addressed mainly amongst smallholders. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the smallholder dairy farmer’s knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding aflatoxins contamination in feeds in Siltie zone of Southern Ethiopia. To achieve this, a total of 150 smallholder dairy farmers were surveyed using a structured questionnaire, while a three-stage sampling technique ensured representation across diverse agro-ecological zones. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression, were conducted to evaluate the prevalence of aflatoxins and the KAP among the farmers. The findings revealed alarming gaps in knowledge and awareness regarding aflatoxins, with overall means scores indicating inadequate knowledge (2.54), unfavorable attitudes (2.58), and low practices (2.55) towards contamination. Notably, 90% of the respondents reported never having seen mold, and 60% had never heard of aflatoxins, highlighting a concerning lack of awareness about the risks associated with contaminated feeds. Furthermore, results of the logistic regression analysis confirmed that six significant variables (attitude, major feed resource, and basal diet, method of feeding, monitoring and storage period) were the most influential elements influencing practices towards mitigating aflatoxins contamination in animal feeds. In conclusion, this study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance KAP regarding aflatoxins in animal feeds. Educational initiatives should focus on raising awareness about aflatoxins' sources and health impacts, along with best practices for feed management. Stakeholders must prioritize the development and implementation of training programs that equip farmers to effectively mitigate contamination risks.</p>

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Smallholders’ knowledge, attitude, and practices towards aflatoxins contamination in animal feeds

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月28日

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  • Sister Hossae Tsegaye,
  • Bayesa Tolasa Itafa

摘要

Aflatoxin’s contamination in animal feeds is a global feed and food safety issue because it not only reduces the quality of the animal feeds and animal sourced foods but has detrimental health consequences on animals and humans. This is due to the fact that aflatoxin from animal feeds can be metabolized to animal milk. Beyond of being an important problem, the terrible effects of aflatoxins contamination in animal feeds are nevertheless not well addressed mainly amongst smallholders. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the smallholder dairy farmer’s knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding aflatoxins contamination in feeds in Siltie zone of Southern Ethiopia. To achieve this, a total of 150 smallholder dairy farmers were surveyed using a structured questionnaire, while a three-stage sampling technique ensured representation across diverse agro-ecological zones. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression, were conducted to evaluate the prevalence of aflatoxins and the KAP among the farmers. The findings revealed alarming gaps in knowledge and awareness regarding aflatoxins, with overall means scores indicating inadequate knowledge (2.54), unfavorable attitudes (2.58), and low practices (2.55) towards contamination. Notably, 90% of the respondents reported never having seen mold, and 60% had never heard of aflatoxins, highlighting a concerning lack of awareness about the risks associated with contaminated feeds. Furthermore, results of the logistic regression analysis confirmed that six significant variables (attitude, major feed resource, and basal diet, method of feeding, monitoring and storage period) were the most influential elements influencing practices towards mitigating aflatoxins contamination in animal feeds. In conclusion, this study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance KAP regarding aflatoxins in animal feeds. Educational initiatives should focus on raising awareness about aflatoxins' sources and health impacts, along with best practices for feed management. Stakeholders must prioritize the development and implementation of training programs that equip farmers to effectively mitigate contamination risks.