CHINHOYI University of Technology (CUT) in conjunction with the Ministry Higher and Tertiary Education has embarked on a programme to produce quality bulls through artificial insemination.
BY NUNURAI JENA
The pilot project is being undertaken in Sanyati, Mashonaland West and Tsholotsho.
A CUT Animal Science department official, Showman Gwatibaya, said the programme was also designed to boost the quality of cattle breeds in the country in line with government’s restocking initiative.
“This programme came about after the realisation that there is a shortage of bulls in the country. When cows are ready for insemination there will be no bulls and they have to wait for a period and if this continues the cow can go up to three years without having a calf,” Gwatibaya said.
Artificial insemination is the deliberate introduction of sperm into a female’s uterus for the purpose of achieving a pregnancy. Farmers in Sanyati welcomed the programme saying their cows were taking as long as up to three years without calves due to shortage of bulls. In normal circumstances a cow should have a calf on a yearly basis.
Prosper Mtunzi was happy to be part of the programme saying his herd would increase as his cows would have calves once a year. “I hope the programme will solve our problems of having our cows go for years without having calves. Although it is expensive, it is worth the sacrifice,” Mtunzi said.
Although artificial insemination costs up to $60 per cow, the farmers said they would sacrifice the little they have to improve the quality of their cattle breeds.
