A SUBSIDIZED AI DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR EMBU COUNTY. BACKGROUND INFORMATION It has been the role of the state department of veterinary services to procure, regulate, supervise and generally oversee domestic animal breeding and genetics in Kenya over the last almost 50 years or so. However structural adjustments in the 1980s and 90s sought to privatize A I SERVICES having been considered as private good rather than a public good with resultant inefficiencies and high costs which made thence extremely popular service out of reach of many average Kenyans and as a result many reverted to using untested bulls in natural service. The results were low production and productivity, downgrading of animals, inbreeding and low motivation to engage in commercialized livestock rearing. Many farmers in the country and Embu in particular were unable to proceed with commercial rearing of livestock. Furthermore emerging technologies such AI in dairy goats, poultry and other farm animal are now possible and available and may also be inco-oporated and adopted in the future. CURRENT SITUATION Procurement, distribution and service delivery of animal breeding technologies including Ai Services is one of the devolved functions under the ministry of agriculture, livestock and Fisheries development hence the county government has an obligation to enhance its uptake by mitigating the circumstances that make its uptake difficult in the county. Many models are available for its delivery and it’s upon the stakeholders to choose the most suitable in their area. Each model has a different pricing and cost implications. The state department of veterinary services shall continue to offer regulatory technical and advisory services and training while the county government will chip in to cause subsidized service in the needy areas of the county with the aim of complement the existing service providers. Embu County comprises of 5 districts (Sub counties) namely manyatta, Runyejes, Mbeere south,Mbeere NorthEmbu . The area has a high potential dairy, beef under extensive semi-intensive zero grazing and feedlot commercialized farming of cattle and the rapidly popularity gaining dairy goats rearing. The main challenges current and potential farmers in the livestock industry face include face as far as animal breeding and genetics are concerned include inaccessibility of the services due to geographical reach by the service consumers and providers, skills of providers and consumers, high cost implications at farm gate, and lack of proper information on animal genetics among others. These particular Interventions will yield good results in terms of:- -Increased livestock population -Improved livestock breeds -Increased livestock productivity -Improved income to the farming community -Poverty reduction in the area. CHALLENGES FACING A.I DELIVERLY IN EMBU COUNTY. -service providers not available -Poor heat detection -Poor record keeping -Overcharging and cheating -Lack of adequate semen -Poor supervision/regulation -Poor/ irregular reporting by the providers -Prevalence of breeding diseases FUTURE PLANS Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries & Cooperatives (Embu County) plans to launch and provide a well throughout but also subsidized artificial insemination-services for cattle and dairy goats targeting the whole county with the aim of promoting value addition in the livestock value chains in general and the of dairy sector in particulars, by increasing production and productivity in the dairy cattle and goats as well as beef sectors in the county. The outcomes are expected include, higher production of individual animals, increased collective production , raised incomes, enhanced livelihoods and food security, better nutrition and a lot more. More current and potential dairy and beef farmers will be able to access easily this service which currently is not easily accessible to the majority due a myriad of reasons including geography reach, skills of service providers as well as the users, high farm gate cost, inadequate or lack of proper information on animal genetics among others. (II) A subsidized A.I delivery system for Sub-County. Given the cattle population of county is estimated to be 130700 as per 2009 Population and Housing census, one A. I delivery system at the county headquarters may not be enough. Therefore we propose in long term to set A.I delivery system at every Sub-County .
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 07:39:02 +0000
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