Artificial insemination costs slashed to Sh3,000
What you need to know:
Following this development, herders will now be charged between Sh3,000 and Sh5,000 per cattle at regional and district levels respectively.
Mwanza. It’s all smiles for livestock keepers after the government announced to slash prices of offering artificial insemination (AI) services for cattle.
Following this development, herders will now be charged between Sh3,000 and Sh5,000 per cattle at regional and district levels respectively.
Previously, the price ranged between Sh15,000 and Sh40,000 per cattle.
Announcing the new price, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Livestock and Fisheries Development, Mr Elisante Ole Gabriel, clarified that the aim was to revamp the livestock sector.
He made the remarks when he was addressing livestock stakeholders in Ilemela District, Mwanza Region on Friday, August 18, 2018. “The aim is to enable pastoralists to access modern cattle breeds at cheaper prices,” he said.
The supplement insemination service is currently being offered by the National Artificial Insemination Centre (NAIC) at Usa-River, in Arusha Region.
Mr Ole Gabriel further instructed the regional administrative secretaries countrywide to effectively oversee the livestock sector departments at regional and district levels in a bid to transform the sector.
Meanwhile, the government has pledged to purchase and distribute various modern cattle breeds to the pastoralists from the first 10 regions which will prepare and submit to the relevant Ministry a ten year strategic plan on how to transform the livestock sector in Tanzania.
For his part during the stakeholders meeting, a senior livestock expert from NAIC, Mr Barongo Filbert, expressed his optimism that the artificial insemination in cattle was crucial for development of livestock sector in Tanzania.
“Herders will be able to generate sufficient income through selling of meat, among others,” he said.
One of the pastoralists who attended the meeting, Mr Albert Kassa, a resident of Ilemela District applauded the government’s decision to reduce the price for artificial insemination service.
He further called on the government to distribute cattle breeds in rural areas in particular and make sure that herders have access to the modern cattle breeds.
