Alhaji Nana Seidu Chibsah, owner of Embik Farms, has established a zero-grazing unit with capacity to hold twenty cows at Abrakaso near Agona in Ashanti region under the facilitation of DAIRYCHAIN project. The farmer intends to increase milk production and set up a milk processing unit to produce various milk products for sale to the general public.

The unit is currently housing four Friesian-West African Shorthorn crossbreds (three heifers and one young bull). These animals were purchased from Amrahia Dairy Farms of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The Department of Animal Science Education of the UEW in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is assisting Embik Farm to develop pastures for use in the zero grazing unit.

Last year, Karima Farms established a zero-grazing unit and stocked it with three heifers and one young bull, all Friesian-West African Shorthorn crosses purchased from Amrahia Dairy Farm of Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Karima Farms is one of the beneficiaries of DAIRYCHAIN facilitation. The actions of these farmers are a manifestation of the positive impact that the DAIRYCHAIN project has had on them.

A good dairy heifer is a great investment in any dairy production enterprise because the heifer constitutes the tomorrow’s milking cow. It is therefore important to raise a large herd of heifers which will provide wide scope of selection of replacement stock. After weaning, the heifer should be kept growing continuously because any setback will affect its lifetime productivity. Proper management ensures that the heifer attains puberty and the desired breeding weight early so that it achieves first calving by 22 to 24 months of age.

Under-feeding and over-feeding is undesirable in heifer rearing. Heifers should be well fed on good fodder and pasture and supplemented with concentrates after weaning them. A mixture of grass-legume pasture, good quality hay or silage may be provided on free-choice basis and supplementation with concentrates will depend on the body condition of the heifer. Avoid feeding the heifers on high energy diet since it leads to deposition of fat in the mammary gland tissue resulting in low milk yield. Ensure that the heifers have access to adequate clean drinking water and mineral salt supplement all the time.

It is important to minimize stress in the young heifers. Provide good housing and increase space as the heifers grow to avoid overcrowding which induces stress in the heifers. The management practices such as removal of supernumerary teats should be done at a young age. Effective bio-security measures, deworming, dipping and vaccination program should be put in place to avoid health problems as the heifers grow. Accurate vaccination and health records should be kept to help reduce death losses.

The correct breeding time is guided by the age and weight of the heifer. Generally a well managed heifer attains the target breeding weight by 14 to 16 months of age. The smaller breeds may be bred at this time while the large breeds which are slow maturing will be bred 2 to 3 months later. Flushing, which refers to provision of high nutrient diet to improve reproductive performance of the heifers, should be done before breeding. Once they have conceived, the pregnant heifers should be provided with adequate forage with level of concentrate supplementation depending on the quality of the forages.
During pregnancy the heifer should be handled gently and familiarized with the milking shed. Handle the udder and teats more frequently prior to calving to accustom the heifer to being milked once it has calved down. At about one month to parturition, accelerated heifer nutrition (steaming up) is necessary to facilitate easy calving and ensure high milk production in the early lactation phase.

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.

The establishment of a