Farmers as Artificial Inseminators: Experience from Arsi Zone, Ethiopia
1. Farmers as Artificial Inseminators: Experience from Arsi
Zone, Ethiopia
FAO-Crop Diversification and Marketing Development Project
By
Hizikias Ketema,
Livestock Development National Consultant
25-28 October,2010, Addis Ababa , Ethiopia
3. The General Objectives of the project
Promote economic growth in rural areas
through strengthening commercialization of
small farms in areas with recognized market
potential.
Tap new market opportunities by providing
technology that has a potential to increase
production and productivity as well as quality
standards so as to increase income,
Minimize price volatility and promote a
sustainable use of natural resources
4. Project Components
1. Farm Technology Development
2. Improved Market Infrastructure
3. Capacity Building and Institutional
Strengthening
5. The Livestock Activities of the Project
Dairy Development Milk Marketing
Forage Development.
Fattening
6. Opportunities
The climatic condition of the zone is conducive
for dairy production
Large number of cattle
Access to market (Major cities and towns)
7. The main challenges are
The low productivity of the local cattle
Shortage and poor quality of feed
Prevalence of animal disease
8. The Livestock Activities of the Project
To alleviate these problems, -
Distribution of crossbred heifers
Development backyard feed production
Strengthening and establishment of Milk
Collection, Processing and Marketing Units
Strengthening of dairy cooperative union.
9. Distribution of heifers
The Number of
crossbred heifers
planned to be
distributed throughout
the project life is 105
So far 40 heifers are
distributed to the
farmers
The main challenge to
achieve the project
target was shortage
supply of crossbred
heifers.
10. Artificial Insemination.
• To alleviate the shortage
of crossbred , the only
means is to encourage
farmers to produce
crossbred heifers by their
own
• To facilitate this it is
important to make the
artificial insemination
service available near to
the farmers’ village.
• For this purpose it was
necessary to train farmers’
as artificial insemination
technicians (FAIT), who
are selected from farmers’
community for, one month
11. Training
The training was conducted in
Adama University in Asella
Model Agriculture Enterprise .
The project assisted the
enterprise in designing the
training curriculum.
12. The training curriculum was designed to have 32.84 %
theory and the rest 61.6 % practical and for the practical
session a cow was allocated for each trainee
Activity
Hrs %
Theoretical 58 32.8
Group Discussion 10 5.6
Practical 109 61.6
Total 177 100
14. Field Operation
Before the inseminators
commence their services the
district/woreda offices
informed the communities
about the service.
The communities were
advised to construct
insemination crushes in the
places which is convenient
to them.
15. Field cont.
The inseminators also
constructed their own
crushes at their residential
compounds.
The farmers, when they
need the service they
bring their animals to the
inseminators’ compound,
or to the crush constructed
by the community.
16. Field cont.
Supply of LN
Initially it was agreed that
the inseminators to refill
liquid nitrogen from the
district/woreda LDHM
Offices.
Finally it was agreed to
take the 35 litres capacity
liquid nitrogen nearer to
the inseminators and to be
kept either in the animal
health clinics or in the
office of development
agents in FTC
18. Efficiency of FAITs.
The inseminators began their work at the beginning
of October 2009. All the 15 inseminators have
performed 2031 inseminations for 1838 cows until
August, 2010
First inseminations, 1878
Second inseminations 144
Third inseminations 9
There was no fourth insemination
19. Efficiency of FAITs.
S.N
Woreda/d
istrict
Number
of
Insemin
ators
Number of Insemination
Total
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1 D/Tijo 4 697 41 0 0 738
2 Hetossa 1 70 12 4 0 86
3 H/Wabe 1 214 16 0 0 230
4 L/Bilibilo 4 193 24 0 0 217
5 Munessa 1 98 15 1 0 114
6 Tiyo 4 606 36 4 0 646
Total 15 1878 144 9 0 2031
Table 2:-. Number of Inseminations by
Woredas
20. Comparison of the Number of Service per Conceptions
(NSPC) by Different Institutions.
Institutions
Year NSPC Source
At Stations
Gobe 1992-1994 2.68 Kalay*
Holleta Agriculture Research
Center
2002-2006 1.6 NAIC*
Asella Model Agricultural
Enterprise Farm
2001-2004 2.5 NAIC*
Holleta Bull Dam Farm 2001-2005 1.9 NAIC*
At Field Level
FINIDA 1984-1994 1.5 Kalay*
Project woreda/district 2005-2009 2.1 CDMDP*
FAO-FAITs End of 2009-August 2010 1.5 CDMDP*
24. Reporting and Recording
Content of AI recording
book and monthly AI
reporting format
Name Kebe
le
Co
w
ID
Br
eed
No. of
insemination
B
ul
l
N
u
m
b
er
1
st
2nd
3
rd
4
T
h
Total
25. Farmers’ Artificial Insemination Pregnancy Diagnosis Report
Name Kebele
ID Breed
Date of AI Date of PD
± 15 days
PD
Result*
E.B.D ± 15
days
Maseresha
Teferi
Ada Daweta Meteke Local
25/1/ 2002 25/4/2002 +
25/10/ 2002
Tuna Kedir Kelesa Bule Cross
27/1/ 2002 27/4/2002 -
27/10/ 2002
Turunesh
Degefa
Ada Daweta Dema Local
28/1/ 2002 28/4/2002 +
28/10/ 2002
Teshome
Bejega
Jengo
Keleyesa
Bure Cross
1/2/ 2002 1/5/2002 +
1/11/ 2002
Manyazewal
Lema
Kulumessa Bure Local
3/3/ 2002 3/2/2002 +
3/11/ 2002
26. Tiyo Woreda Calves Record
Cows’ Information Calves’ Information
S.N Name Kebele
ID Breed
Date of AI Bre
e
d
ID Birth
D
at
e
Birth Wt.
Kg
Sex Bull No
M F
1
Kuma Abe A. Daweta Meteke Local 25/1/02
F1 TY-0001 6/11/02 24
1 10-165
2
Bire Alem Gonde Bure Local
3/2/02 F1 TY-0002 8/11/02 16
1
10-165
3
Aman Ali Gonde Bule Cross
5/2/02 F2 TY-0003 9/11/02 24
1
10-165
4
Grum H/G D.Koncha Bure Exotic 30/1/02
F1
TY-0004
30/10/02
1
10-165
5
Adam Biru D.Koncha Gare Local 8//2/02
F1
TY-0005
19/11/02 16
1
10-165
28. CALF’s BIRTH CERITIFICATE
The Name of the Owner———————————————
Region ———————————— Zone ———————————–—
Woreda ——————————- Kebele —————————-
Calf ID ———————— Sex ———— Date of birth —————
Breed/Type ——————————- Birth Wt ——————
Dam ID —————- Breed ——————
Sire ID ————— Breed —————
This certificate is issued to certify that the calf is born by artificial
insemination from known bull.
Signature of the Zonal Livestock, Health and Marketing Office
Name and Signature of the inseminator
Date
29. Constraints Associated with Artificial Insemination Service.
Continues Supply of Liquid Nitrogen
Distribution of LN
Inadequate follow up by some woredas
30. Field cont.
Some of expected results of FAIT’s service :-
The pilot program shows that if the necessary training and
support is provided to the farmers they can be able to
participate in AI
The program will alleviate the shortage of crossbred heifers
within short period.
In long term the area will be the source of crossbred heifers
to other areas.
The milk production of the area will be improved
Other will learn the experience to scale up the service