Taraba Launches Mass Artificial Insemination Programme To Boost Cattle Production

The Taraba State Government in partnership with the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), has launched a statewide mass artificial insemination programme aimed at improving cattle genetics and increasing milk and meat production.

The programme, which was flagged off on Saturday in Jalingo, is also expected to enhance herd productivity and increase the economic value of livestock farming across the state.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the managing director of Livestock Genetics Africa Ltd, Emmanuel Nnoku, said the intervention would help transform livestock production through the adoption of modern breeding technology.

Nnoku, whose company is implementing the programme in Taraba, said experienced technical personnel had been deployed across the state to support the exercise.

He added that similar interventions were already being implemented in other states, urging farmers and other stakeholders to cooperate with the technical team to ensure the success of the programme.

According to him, the initiative was designed to improve the genetic quality of cattle, with emphasis on increasing milk and meat production, enhancing herd productivity and improving economic returns for livestock farmers.

Also speaking, the Taraba State project coordinator of L-PRES, Hananiah Albert, said artificial insemination would give farmers access to superior bull genetics without the cost and burden of keeping breeding bulls.

He said the programme would be implemented across livestock clusters and other strategic locations in the state, with the support of animal health and husbandry personnel.

Albert urged livestock owners to make their animals available for the exercise and adhere strictly to technical advice provided by the specialists.

He explained that the use of quality semen would progressively improve important traits such as milk production, growth rate, fertility, disease tolerance, adaptability and overall cattle productivity.

The chairman of the Taraba State Livestock Development Commission (TALDEC), Dr Dauda Abubakar, described the initiative as a major step towards modernising livestock production in the state.

Abubakar commended the L-PRES Project Implementation Unit and its technical partners for introducing the programme, urging livestock keepers to embrace the intervention and take advantage of the opportunity to improve the productivity of their herds.

He reaffirmed TALDEC’s commitment to supporting programmes aimed at improving animal productivity and strengthening the livelihoods of livestock-keeping communities across the state.

Also speaking, Alhaji Arma Yau, a livestock farmer and former deputy governor of Taraba State, commended the state government and L-PRES for introducing the cross-breeding programme.

Yau said the intervention would contribute significantly to improving cattle breeds and boosting productivity among livestock farmers in Taraba State.