Dairy Farmers to benefit from Korean improved breeds
Mukasa said the project has supported Uganda with Liquid Nitrogen tanks and semen banks which will be used to help the technicians during AI.
AGRIBUSINESS|FARMING|KOREAN BREED
Dairy farmers are to begin rearing Korean Friesian cattle which are high in milk and meat production.
This is after the Korean government through the Korea Rural Community cooperation under the Korea- Uganda Dairy Project (KUDaP) promised to give Uganda 30,000 doses of semen, 200 embryos of improved breeds to boost dairy production.
The three-year KUDaP project supported by the Koreans is aimed at improving productivity of dairy farmers through supporting dairy technology and infrastructure with hope to improve the genetics and technology transfer.
Speaking during the refresher training course for artificial Insemination Technicians (AI) in Entebbe, Dr. Christopher Mukasa the technical manager breeding at the Animal Genetic Resource Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC & DB) Said the training was benefiting AI technicians from central in the districts of Kayunga, Mukono, Wakiso, Mpigi and Kampala, among others.
According to Mukasa, the project in partnership with Makerere University has a component of setting up a model farm in Nakinsasa in addition to establishing an elite dairy herd in Makerere.
Under breeding, Mukasa said the project has supported Uganda with Liquid Nitrogen tanks and semen banks which will be used to help the technicians during AI.
"This training was more concentrating on breeding, record reporting, new reproductive technologies and also the available equipment for AI and semen handling," he said.
He said that NAGRIC is currently working towards conserving the indigenous breeds from their original localities through keeping semen and embryos given their resilience in agro ecological zones.
He admitted that the crosses are higher producers if looked after well compared to the indigenous breeds
"As far as meat is concerned, our indigenous animals have the best meat, although the growth rates are low, we are working on both in milk and meat production," he said.
Dr Sirage Luwago said artificial insemination in cattle has helped a lot in improving breeds of animals.
He however said some farmers still lack the knowledge of detecting animals on heat yet cattle showing signs of heat can easily conceive.
"We expect a conception rate of 50% and above but if you are doing very well, it must be 70% that is if the animal on heat is detected early, not diseased and the technicians arrive in time to carry on the insemination.
Dr. Luwago advised farmers to embrace AI saying it will provide them with best breeds of animals.
The leader of inseminators in Mukono district Bernad Sekitooleko said most of the farmers in Mukono are smallholders who cannot afford to keep bulls with most of them using AI.
He however said lack of control among inseminators is greatly killing the profession coupled with farmers misinforming the technician about animals on heat.
Peter Sentumbwe a veterinary extension worker from Mpigi applauded NAGRIC-DB for developing a new recording programme and conducting a course in record keeping.
"Record keeping is a very big challenge in dairy production. If we don't keep track, we end up in breeding animals and the end results in getting inferior offsprings," he said.
Sentumbwe observed the need to train the Farmers on what to feed their animals to increase the conception rate.