IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT POULTRY SUBSIDY SUPPORT ON POULTRY FARM PRODUCTIVITY IN SARPANG AND TSIRANG DISTRICTS OF BHUTAN

Abstract

This study evaluated the association between government poultry subsidies programmes and farm productivity and socio-economic outcomes among poultry farmers in Sarpang and Tsirang districts of Bhutan. A cross-sectional study design was employed from 1 September to 30 December 2024, involving 79 randomly selected poultry farmers. Data on access to subsidies, including shed construction materials, poultry equipment, and layer day-old chicks, and subsequent changes in farm productivity and household socio-economic indicators were collected through structured face-to-face interviews using the Epicollect5 mobile data collection platform. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test was used to assess differences in reported outcomes across categories. The 32% of respondents had commercial layer farm, followed by semi-commercial farms (24%) and subsistence farms (19%) and on the other hand, broiler farming scale was equally distributed between semi-commercial and commercial systems. Substantial percentages of the respondents were literate (72%) and all the respondents had the poultry farming experiences. A significant proportion of the respondents (77.22%) reported an increase in poultry farm productivity following receipt of subsidies, while some respondents (48.10%) indicated improvements in household socio-economic conditions. A chi-square was conducted to examine how the responds are distributed across all categories. The frequencies of reported socio-economic outcomes were not equally distributed across the multiple response categories, with livelihood differ significantly from an equal distribution across the 12 categories (χ2=177.12, df=11, p<0.001). Similarly, reported changes in farm productivity differed significantly among respondents (χ² = 128.6, df = 3, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that access to government poultry subsidies is associated with improved perceived farm productivity and socio-economic benefits among poultry farmers in the study areas. Strengthening poultry training and monitoring strategies may enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of poultry subsidy programmes in Bhutan.