Assessing awareness of IoT-driven strategies for poultry management in mitigating increased ambient heat in Enugu, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined awareness level of Internet of Things (IoT)-driven strategies in mitigating impacts of increased ambient heat load in poultry pens by poultry farmers in a smart city like Enugu, Nigeria. With the rising challenges of climate change, increased ambient heat load within poultry pens poses a significant threat to poultry production. Understanding farmers’ perception of impact of increased ambient heat load and their awareness of IoT-driven strategies for its mitigation is crucial for sustainable poultry system management in smart cities. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 240 poultry farmers from the three Local Government Areas that make up Enugu City. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics and Likert rating scale were used to analyze the data. The study identified socio-demographic factors influencing farmers’ perception of impact of increased heat load and awareness/ adoption of IoT-driven mitigation strategies. Education level (45% secondary education), access to information (29.2%) and financial resources (22.9%) were key determinants. The findings revealed varying levels of awareness among poultry farmers regarding IoT-driven strategies while the constraints faced by farmers in implementing sustainable IoT-driven mitigation strategies included lack of awareness, lack of funding/high initial investment, limited access to technology, inadequate training, poor extension contact, water availability and climate variability. The study concluded that majority of poultry farmers shared similar perceptions about the impact of increased ambient heat load on poultry species but however were not aware of many of the IoT-driven strategies to mitigate the impact and were limited by a number of constraints or challenges to adopting IoT-driven mitigation strategies which altogether could improve poultry production system and help to achieve animal protein security in a smart city like Enugu, Nigeria. The study further recommended enlightenment of poultry farmers on the impact of increased ambient heat load on poultry species and available/sustainable/harmonized IoT-enabled guidelines or solutions to mitigate heat load in smart cities’ poultry production system.