Research Article
Socioeconomic Characteristics Influencing Level of Awareness of Aflatoxin Contamination of Feeds among Livestock Farmers in Meru District of Tanzania
Table 3
Awareness distribution on fungal toxins contamination of feeds.
| Respondents’ perceptions on feed aflatoxins | Frequency (%) |
| Possible presence of fungal toxins in feeds (n = 258) | | Yes | 133 (52) | No | 111 (43) | Not certain | 14 (5) | Specific probable fungal toxins in feeds (n = 133) | | Aflatoxins | 8 (6) | Other toxin fungal names | 26 (20) | Do not know | 99 (74) | Feed ingredient susceptible to fungal toxin contamination (n = 133) | | Maize bran | 96 (72) | Wheat feeds | 3 (2) | Wheat pollard | 5 (4) | Sunflower seed cake | 1 (1) | Cotton seed cake | 1 (1) | Other feed ingredients | 4 (3) | Do not know | 23 (17) | Possibility that fungal toxins in feeds affect animal health (n = 133) | | Yes | 113 (84) | Not certain | 18 (14) | No | 2 (2) | Possibility that fungal toxins are transferred from feeds to foods of animal origin | (n = 133) | Yes | 21 (16) | Not certain | 11 (8) | No | 101 (76) | Signs to suspect presence of fungal toxins in feeds (n = 133) | | Abnormal colour | 66 (48) | Abnormal consistence | 24 (18) | Bad odour (rotten/soil smell) | 47 (36) | Insect/larva presence | 3 (2) | Impaired animal health/deaths | 13 (5) | Do not know any indicator | 24 (18) | Ability to detect mould in feeds (n = 133) | 133 | Yes | 123 (93) | No | 9 (7) | Not certain | 1 (1) | Possibility of detoxifying aflatoxins in feeds (n = 133) | 133 | Yes | 83 (62) | No | 38 (29) | Not certain | 12 (9) | Heard about aflatoxins (258) | | Yes | 71 (28) | No | 187 (72) | Means through which aflatoxins were heard (71) | | Reading | 3 (4) | Mass media (radio/TV) | 49 (69) | Seminars/experts | 11 (16) | Friends/neighbours | 8 (11) | Time when heard about aflatoxin(s) | | ≤one year ago | 40 (56) | Two years ago | 15 (21) | >two years ago | 16 (23) |
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