Kwara Begins Statewide Artificial Insemination Of Cattle

Kwara State government has flagged off the artificial insemination of cattle to improve local breeding and enhance milk and dairy production.

The project is being implemented by the state government in partnership with the Genex URUS American International Animal Company.

The state commissioner for Livestock Development, Hon. Oloruntoyosi Thomas, said the exercise is designed to cover thousands of animals, with the initial 500 cattle for September.

Thomas said plans were underway to establish an insemination centre in Malete, Moro local government area, and later replicate such in other identified communities to improve the farmers’ access to the intervention.

“One of the ways to improve breeds is through artificial insemination. We are going to inseminate thousands of cattle across the state. We started the process this month with the synchronization of the animals, and now we are doing the insemination,” she said.

“In terms of numbers, we are going to inseminate thousands. We are starting with five hundred this month of September, but by the end of the year we are hoping to reach maybe a thousand, and then we keep going. It’s a long process but we are just starting. This intervention is one of its series by the government for us to be able to transform livestock in Kwara State.

“We need to ensure that we have our well trained technicians – artificial insemination technicians – and that’s why we are involving our students from the University of Ilorin, the various tertiary institutions in the state, and today we have students from University of Ilorin with us. We also have youths from the pastoralist community,” she added.

Toyosi said the training will help eliminate synchronization of cattle, reduce the cost, and improve the success rate of the insemination campaign.

The director of Livestock in the ministry, Alh Ahmed Umar, expressed the hope that 85 per cent success will be achieved in the exercise, appealing for the support of all key stakeholders.

The team lead, Genex URUS American International Animal Breeding Company, Dr Saka Shittu, thanked the state government for keying into the programme and called on cattle owners to embrace it.

He said, “For now, the programme focuses on cattle; it will later be extended to other livestock. The essence of the programme is that animals are being inseminated with improved semen selected to boost dairy production.”