Rwanda: Over 100 Vets Acquire Genetic Improvement Skills, Equipment

vet

A total of 101 veterinarians from 17 districts have received equipment after undergoing a two-week training in artificial insemination (AI).

Dr Alphonse Nshimiyimana, the representative of Rwanda Council of Veterinary Doctors, said it was in line with the genetic improvement policy in the country.

Figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) show that there is a cattle population of about 1.4 million in the country of which 54 per cent are cross breeds, 40 per cent locally bred and 6 per cent pure breeds.

Milk production increased by over hundredfold from about 7,000 tonnes in 1994 to over 710,000 tonnes currently.

More than 90 per cent of that milk comes from cross and pure breeds, with only the remaining 10 per cent produced by local cows.

According to the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), some cow breeds can each produce between 25 and 30 liters of milk per day, but some local cows only give five liters of milk or less per day. The average milk production per cow in Rwanda is eight litres per day.

Among over 100 AI kits worth $138,501 (about Rwf113 million) that were given to the beneficiary veterinarians, 56 were AI shields - a new special technology equipment that helps to safely preserve semen.

Dennis Karamuzi, the Rwanda Dairy Competitiveness Programme II (RDCP II) chief of party, said this will help improve the conception rate.

Karamuzi noted that over 12,000 cows were artificially inseminated in the 17 districts since the project started in 2012.

"What we want is to increase the conception rate for cows. Veterinarians should also follow up on the animals to ensure that the conception rate increases so that farmers do not encounter losses due to cow's conception failure," Karamuzi said, adding that they needed improved breeds that give high milk yield.

Benefits of artificial insemination

Dr Nshimiyimana said most of the livestock in the country were a traditional breed.

He noted that artificial insemination was cheaper than using bulls for insemination and also ensures controlled pedigree as well as preventing spread of diseases among cows.

"When a bull mates a cow, all the semen gets inseminated into one cow, but when you use artificial insemination, the same semen gets inseminated into 400 cows," Nshimiyimana said.

For Girinka, the one Cow-Per-Poo-Family programme, he said, artificial insemination is even far better for the implementation of this initiative as there are selected semen that are used with high likelihood (between 92 and 93 per cent) to know that a cow will calve a heifer to be passed on to another beneficiary.

A livestock farmer pays Rwf1,500 for ordinary semen (one insemination), while it is Rwf15,000 for sexed semen, according to Nshimiyimana.

He noted that the Council of veterinary doctors will monitor the works of the veterinarians to ensure the success of insemination interventions.

Conception rate

The average conception rate is between 39 and 40 per cent and such results arrive two months after the insemination has been carried out.

However, Nshimiyimana saidthat some veterinarians in Gicumbi District achieve between 60 to 65 per cent conception rates, the same rate as in developed countries.

Alexis Hakizimana, a veterinarian from Huye District, said having veterinarians acquired skills for career development as well as equipment will help improve insemination service delivery.

"Sometimes dairy farmers did not get insemination services on time because some had no equipment and to borrow from others. But, now that we have got new comprehensive AI kits, we will reach farmers on time and offer them quality services," he noted.

The veterinary council so far has about 2,000 registered veterinarians, according to Dr Nshimiyimana.