Free Artificial Insemination (AI) Continues in Kitui west
Monday, January 28, 2018
Kitui Governor’s Press
By Barrack Muli
The Artificial Insemination programme is ongoing in Kitui West, Mwingi North and Mwingi West Subcounties.
The programme is a countywide initiative targetting cows across the county to better the breed and boost gains for the farmers.
The technology based livestock improvement and multiplication programme induces a large number of females to be on heat in a short, predetermined time.
The activity will help farmers earn more from the planned programme while in future opening a new front for wealth creation and fighting poverty.
According to the county livestock statistics, Kitui has about 401,265 head of cattle and only 6,685 are good dairy cattle, making the county *heavily deficient in milk supply for domestic and commercial consumption*.
The free insemination programme is offered by the county government to improve milk and beef production of the traditional cattle which are the dominant breed in the county and which have been faced with production challenges.
Over 100,000 households in Kitui are set to benefit from the programme.
Before the free insemination programme was rolled out, farmers were getting AI services at exorbitant and unafordable costs forcing them to use local bulls for breeding purposes, resulting to low milk and meat production.
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