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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
Government is planning to establish cattle insemination centres as part of a drive to raise the calving rate from 48 percent to over 70 percent. Speaking to journalists in Chiredzi recently, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Deputy Minister responsible for livestock Paddy Zhanda said other countries in the SADC region already have such facilities.
Zhanda said the system was working very well in Botswana. He said they will start by establishing the centres in Matabeleland region and Masvingo province moving to other provinces. Artificial insemination is the introduction of high quality semen of a bull by the use of pipettes into the reproductive tract of a receptive female cow.
The procedure plays an important role in improving livestock worldwide as it allows for the genetic make-up of an animal to be changed to improve milk or beef quality. Zhanda said there is need to increase the calving rate to between 70 and 80 percent.
“We want to improve on the calving rate which is presently at 48 percent. This isn’t acceptable, we should achieve between 70 and 80 percent calving rate,” said Zhanda.
“If we remain at 48 percent, we will incur more expenses on large land being grazed yet there’s no production. We should emphasise on output and be able to make Cold Storage Commission (CSC) work again. The other inefficiency is genetic where the conception rate is poor, hence there is a need to improve on breeding through artificial insemination,” he said.
Online Reporter