Kakamega County, through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with Vuka Agribusiness Company, is set to introduce Artificial Insemination (AI) for pigs, to increase yields.
Vuka Agribusiness, is a private company based in Thika, which is importing semen for pigs from Europe and Kakamega, is seeking to be one of the beneficiaries.
“We want to bring the AI for pigs’ technology to the County,” said the County Officer-In- Charge of Pig farming and Agribusiness in Kakamega, Henry Ondanga.
In the PPP, which is still in its initial stages, Vuka will also train veterinary doctors in the County on AI for pigs and acquire the necessary materials to be used.
The Company will also support the enterprise from the production, breeding, marketing and value addition.
The County Government will utilize the Pig Breeding and Multiplication Centre at the Bukura Agricultural and Training Centre (ATC), for training the vets and setting up a centre for AI dissemination.
Once successful, Ondanga said, the technology will be introduced to farmers across the County at an affordable price.
“With the technology, we shall end up with superior breeds and the ones that mature faster,” he noted.
Currently, farmers in Kakamega keep the Large White and Landrace pigs, not the exotic Duroc breed. The County has an approximate 100, 000 pigs.
He further noted that the technology will be a game changer, with expectations that the number of farmers rearing pigs will increase from the current 20,000.
“With AI we shall have faster multiplication of pigs, therefore, we shall be able to provide high quality piglets to farmers who want to venture into pig farming, at a lower cost,” he said.
The AI is one of the new innovative approaches that the County is seeking to adopt, to increase the number of pigs and encourage more residents to venture into pig farming.
In addition to the AI, Kakamega County is also promoting a new housing technology known as deep litter among pig farmers.
“We are encouraging our pig farmers to construct the deep litter housing for pigs which is cheaper and environmentally friendly,” he disclosed.
He noted that pig farming is a lucrative enterprise in the County since there is high demand for pork.
The County Government is also forming a co-operative society for pig farmers to promote the enterprise through marketing and cut out brokers who have infiltrated the business.
By Moses Wekesa
