Kirinyaga County has sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Kenya Animal Genetic Resource Center (KAGRC) on provision of Artificial Insemination (AI) services to boost milk production and quality of breeds.
In an event held at Ahiti Ndomba in Mwea Constituency, KAGRC Managing Director, Dr David Kios and area Governor Anne Waiguru, said that the agreement will facilitate the support to farmers’ groups through provision of quality Artificial Insemination (AI) services.
Dr Kios said the Centre will provide semen and liquid nitrogen to farmers in the initial part of their deal.
“We thank the County Government for collaborating with us, we will be providing quality AI services as KAGRC to farmers,” Dr Kios assured.
He added that the main objective of the deal is to improve the breeds of dairy cattle in the County which will see increased milk production for better incomes to the farmers.
“We want to see production of milk here double in future and every farmer getting profits from their dairy products,” he added.
The Managing Director also noted that since the ground breaking by the President of KAGRC centre in Ahiti Area, a lot has happen, and assuring the facility is going to be fully constructed and operational within short time.
Governor Waiguru said that while KAGRC will be providing semen and liquid nitrogen, the County Government will provide 80 A.I. coolers to each of the County’s four cooperative societies, where each will receive 20 of them.
The County currently has four dairy cooperatives: Rung’eto, Kirima, Podago and Rung’eto, with over 1,800 farmers.
“We as county will provide each of our four dairy cooperatives with 20 coolers, this will be 80 in total,” she said.
Waiguru added that the County Government is supporting the dairy cooperatives with two 10,000 liters capacity milk haulers to ease transportation milk to the market.
“To solve the transportation cost we shall provide two haulers with capacity of 10,000 liters,” she added.
Additionally, the Governor said, Rung’eto and Kirima Dairy Cooperative Societies will each receive yoghurt making equipment while all the four cooperatives will be supported with power generators.
“The yoghurt making equipment has a capacity of processing 500 liters of yoghurt daily which will go a long way in increasing farmers’ incomes,” she reiterated.
The Governor said that the County through Ministry of Agriculture will continue offering agricultural extension services to farmers to ensure that the programme is successful.
By Mutai Kipngetich
