Kiambu livestock farmers have benefited from free artificial insemination (AI) services offered by the county government dubbed ‘One calf per year per cow’
The free artificial insemination programme is offered by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation through a signed memorandum of understanding with the Kenya Animal Genetics Resource Centre (KAGRC) to supply high quality semen to farmers in all the 12 sub-counties.
According to Kiambu Chief Officer for Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Services Mr. John Ngigi the service will enable cattle farmers to upgrade their cattle breeds to quality Dairy breeds.
“Kenya Animal Genetics Resource Centre is a national parastatal, which develops semen of various livestock that is the best semen for dairy and beef cattle, therefore the semen is absolutely reliable,” said Ngigi.
The livestock officer further asked farmers to take advantage of the service as it will help improve dairy breeds, which will in turn increase production and farmers’ income.
“I urge our farmer to make good use of our trained and licensed practitioners who are deployed in all the 12 sub counties and shun private quacks who are exploiting them,” said Ngigi.
According to George Kihara a livestock farmer in Githunguri sub county, quality semen is very expensive therefore most farmers resolve to the traditional way of using a bull which takes more time.
“I have 20 cows and all received the free artificial semen offered by the KAGRC last year, two have already delivered heifers with one delivering twins,” said Kihara.
Dairy is one of the key economic livestock-based activities practiced by smallholder farmers in Kiambu, a report by KAGRC shows that there are 250,000 dairy cows in Kiambu County with an annual turnover of over Ksh.10 billion.
The report further states that the livestock sector today contributes more than 40 percent to Kenya’s agricultural gross domestic product, at a total value of Sh 515 billion, and employs 50 percent of the country’s agricultural labor force.
By Grace Naishoo
