performance of artificial insemination: challenges and opportunities

PERFORMANCE OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION :

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

PRESENTED BY DESALEGN G/MEDHIN ETHIOPIAN MEAT AND DAIRY TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE

IPMS Workshop on Alternatives for Improving Field AI Delivery System to Enhance Beef and Dairy Production in Ethiopia

ILRI, Addis Ababa, 24-25 August 2011

OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION

INTRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL AI OPERATION ARTIFICIAL INSEMIATION IN OTHER COUNTRIES:

THE KENYAN EXPERIENCE WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

PERFORMANCE OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION IN ETHIOPIA A RVIEW OF VARIOUS RESEARCH FINDINGS

AN OVERVIEW OF THE AI OPERATION OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS04/10/23 2

PERFORMANCE OF AI IN ETHIOPIA: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES DESALEGN G/MEDHIN, EMDTI

INTRODUCTION

Artificial insemination (AI) is a process by which sperm is artificially collected from the male, processed, stored, and introduced into the reproductive tract of females for the purpose of attaining conception by means other than the natural way or natural mating

Artificial insemination has been widely used for livestock breeding, especially for dairy cattle and pigs_ 70% of dairy cattle and 5 to 10 % of beef cattle

The use of AI in cattle breeding has a history of more than 100 years and the vast majority of dairy cattle are produced in this way

AI can be carried out by technicians from approved AI centers, by qualified vets , or by trained farmers

.

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DESALEGN G/MEDHIN, EMDTI

ADVANTAGES OF AI OVER NATURAL BREEDING

Allows the choice of using the best possible bulls of proven quality in improving the genetic make-up of the cattle population

Farmers have access to genes from superior bulls Gives better opportunity for oestrus synchronization Frozen semen can be transported globally Disease control Cost effectiveness as compared to rearing a bull Flexibility If proper semen is chosen and used, then the quality of

livestock will improve: Use of AI Improve productivity Money/ better return

from livestock production

04/10/23 4PERFORMANCE OF AI IN ETHIOPIA: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES,


DRAWBACKS OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

Requires well trained and experienced AITs Requires closer supervision of females High cost on investment and higher running costs poor conception rates due to poor heat detection and

inefficiency of AI technicians High risk of dissemination of reproductive diseases and

poor fertility rates if the overall operation fails to meet accepted standards and procedures

Problems associated with inbreeding

04/10/23PERFORMANCE OF AI IN ETHIOPIA: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

DESALEGN G/MEDHIN, EMDTI5

DEFORMITIES AND ABNORMAL GROWTH



REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL AI OPERATION

Good record keeping is a prerequisite to an organized breeding and prevention of the deleterious effects of inbreeding

Well established system of progeny testing and selection of AI bulls

Efficient and effective supply of quality semen and other inputs

Well established operating systems _ Reliability Well established monitoring and evaluation Appropriate animal health service and improved fertility

levels of herds



ARTIFICIAL INSEMIATION IN OTHER COUNTRIES: THE KENYAN EXPERIENCE

Artificial Insemination was started in Kenya in 1935 at a Government Farm with the objective to control venereal diseases. However, it soon became apparent that AI could also be used for dairy cattle improvement through use of selected bulls

In 1946, Central AI Station was established In 1966, Kenya National AI Service (KNAIS) was established

as a section within the Department of Veterinary Services with the objective of expanding coverage of AI service provision in the country to meet increasing demand

Costs /fees were raised and lowered in different points in time due to various reasons



THE KENYAN EXPERIENCE, cont…

In 1979, there was tremendous uptake of AI Services in the country and peak performance was achieved by performing a total of 549,000 inseminations

In 1988, Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) were introduced which prescribed cost sharing between GoK and beneficiaries

By 1991, there was a major policy shift to privatization of AI services which entailed encouraging cooperative societies, self help groups, private veterinarians and AI technicians starting own AI Services and gradual withdrawal of GoK services where privatization was picking




Central AI Station continued servicing the AI Privatization Programme with semen, Liquid Nitrogen and the AI equipments while the Department of Veterinary Services offered advisory services in planning, budgeting and technical management of the upcoming private and communal practices. The Department also carried out regulatory and supervisory services

The number of licensed AI Service providers has also continued rising from a mere 23 in 1992 to 145 in 2001 to 260 in 2004 to 550 in 2006 and 750 in 2008




The Department of Veterinary Services has continued regulating and supervising the AI Service Provision through the local DVOs

CAIS currently supplies 85% of the semen requirement in the country while the remaining 15% is supplied by Bovine genetic Importers who distributed, for example, an estimated 75,000 doses of semen in the Year 2008

Strong coordination at national level and appropriate bull selection methods

Artificial insemination and dairying in general are nowadays in much better status in Kenya



PERFORMANCE OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION IN ETHIOPIA

AN OVERVIEW OF THE AI OPERATION In Ethiopia, AI was first introduced in 1938 in Asmara

In 1967, an independent service was started in Chilalo Awraja of the then Arsi Region

In 1981, the National AI Center was

established at Kality to coordinate the AI

operation at national level

At present, AI service is provided mainly by

government employed AITs with little

private service delivery which started

recently



PERFORMANCE, Cont…

The sources of semen for these technicians is mainly the National Artificial Insemination Center and to a little extent private organizations which import semen from abroad

There has not been any mechanism of regulating and monitoring the overall activities of the service delivery

Lack of record keeping & reporting by AI service providers and farmers has adversely affected national data analysis and decision making process. Lack of AI records is highly believed to have increased the incidence of inbreeding in the country

In general, AI service has been given little or no emphasis over the past years as a result of which efficiency and success has been severely impaired



PERFORMANCE , cont…

OPPORTUNITIES

The growing demands for reliable services and quality semen

In most cases, users of the AI service are willing to pay even higher fees per service provided that they get quality semen and reliable services

The possibilities of getting alternative semen sources

Growing attention by the government for the sector

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OPPORTUNITIES, Cont…

Nationally established system and national organization to coordinate efforts

Efforts being made by partner GOs and NGOs

to improve the service



CHALLENGES

Major actors in the chain of AI operation_ Are they all doing well?



SUCCESS OF AI OPERATION

CENTRAL COORDINATION OFFICE

AGR. BUREAUX/ OFFICES

AITs FARMERS

DECISION MAKING BODY

CHALLENGES, cont… Inefficient coordination at national level and poor linkages among major

actors along with little attention to the overall AI operation

High turnover of skilled AITs because of lack of appropriate career structures in all regions

Absence of herd recording scheme and lack of appropriate bull selection based on progeny testing methods

Limitations in animal health service delivery

Absence of monitoring and evaluation

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CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

It has been evident that the AI work in Ethiopia has not been successful and is believed that inbreeding has been taking place in the process of indiscriminate crossbreeding over the past years due to overlapping problems

Accordingly, the following recommendations need to be considered: Transform the existing national coordination into a

strong and efficient institution Improve availability of service delivery through better

semen storage and inputs delivery in all parts of the country

Introduce a national herd recording scheme and implement progeny tested bull selection methods



RECOMMENDATIONS, Cont…

Encourage private involvement in the AI service delivery Importation of genetic germplasm especially semen and

embryo need to be strengthened to complement the domestic production

Establish appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to avoid indiscriminate crossbreeding and associated problems and also to assure provision of fair services to the AI users

Encourage the use of farmer AI technicians where it is necessary



ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

04/10/23 4


performance of artificial insemination: challenges and opportunities

Technology