Extension workers drilled in artificial insemination

Transforming Agriculture through Diversification Entrepreneurship (Trade) programme is training 20 extension workers from Karonga, Rumphi and Chitipa on artificial insemination to improve breeds of beef and dairy cattle.

Speaking on Saturday during the opening of the 21-day training at Mikolongwe Vocational School in Chiradzulu, Trade programme commodity specialist for livestock Emmanuel Mponya said they want to equip extension workers with skills to improve local breeds to produce more milk and beef.

He said local animals produce three to four litres of milk a day compared with exotic ones which produce 20 to 30 litres a day.

Said Mponya: “We support dairy and beef value chains. We, therefore, want to teach farmers artificial insemination to improve dairy and beef breeds.

“Since the exotic ones are difficult to manage, we cross-breed them with local varieties to produce hybrid animals.”

One of the participants, Bernadette Ndhlovu, an extension worker from Muhushu Extension Planning Area in Rumphi District, said she expects that the knowledge will help farmers from her area to improve their animal breeds.

She said: “Right now, beef production ranges from 250 to 500 kilogrammes live weight, but with cross-breeding, we will produce big animals that will produce more beef.

“In the end, farmers will be able to get more money from sales.”

The first cohort will undergo cross-breeding training of beef animals while the second group will learn how to cross-breed dairy cows.

Trade will support the training with cross-breeding animals.

Trade programme is a six-year Government of Malawi initiative funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development and Organisation of Petroleum Countries Fund for International Development.

In the first three years, the programme will be implemented in 11 districts.