UEW Starts Artificial Insemination Services to Farmers Under EDULINK II Project

The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has started an Artificial Insemination (AI) programme to offer AI services to farmers in Ashanti region, Ghana. The aim of the programme is to reduce poverty among cattle farmers through increased milk yield of local cattle. It also seeks to help students acquire competency in AI through participatory approaches which are in line with objectives of the Edulink II project. It is expected that the initiative will help produce more quality dairy cattle for increased milk production and processing which will also strengthen the Dairy Value Chain (DVC). The Department of Animal Science Education is grateful to Prof. Harrison K. Dapaah, Principal of the College of Agriculture Education for show of commitment and support for training and purchase of the insemination equipment.

Milk production of local cattle is low and stands at 2 litres per cow per day with very short lactation lengths of 180 days. Under DAIRYCHAIN crossbreeding is being done by inseminating the farmers’ local cows with Holstein Friesian semen to obtain crossbreds to be used for milk production. It is expected that the crossbred cows will produce about 10-15 litres of milk per day and lactation length will also go beyond 250 days. The programme is being carried out by UEW under the Edulink II project, in collaboration with the Amrahia Dairy Farm of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). Already, a Veterinary Technician at UEW Mr. Hudu Seidu has undergone a two week intensive training in Artificial Insemination (AI) at the Amrahia Dairy Farm to acquire the requisite skills to perform AI in dairy cattle and manage the AI programme. The AI programme is being offered to farmers in Edulink II districts namely Atwima, Nwabeagya, Ejisu-Juabeng, Ejura-Sekyedumase, Mampong Municipal, Sekyere South and Kumasi Metropolis, as well as to farmers in the other 25 districts of Ashanti who are not beneficiaries of Edulink II project.  Thus, all cattle farmers in the 30 districts of Ashanti region are beneficiaries of the AI programme. 

Following successful completion of training of the AI Technician, UEW has since acquired AI kit box, 2 canisters and liquid Nitrogen tanks for storage of semen. The University also purchased one canister and liquid nitrogen. Amrahia Dairy farm of MoFA donated AI kit box, one canister and Holstein Friesian semen to UEW.

The UEW wrote to all District Directors of Agriculture in the 30 districts of Ashanti to inform them about the programme and in turn sensitize the farmers about the programme. Farmers within DAIRYCHAIN project areas are already preparing their animals for insemination.