Great boost to dairy farming as artificial insermination technology launched

What you need to know:

  • AI shield is a simple and proprietary cold chain solution that protects frozen bull semen from adverse temperature fluctuations, resulting in an increased likelihood of AI fertilisation success. The Worthington Industries and Global Good is designed the technology to reduce the fertilisation failure in AI service delivery by lessening the spread of venereal diseases in livestock keeping.

Dar es Salaam. Two American firms yesterday launched an artificial insemination (AI shield) technology that aims at revolutionising livestock breeding. The technology by The Worthington Industries and Global Good specifically targets smallholder dairy farmers, who fail to handle semen properly.

AI shield is a simple and proprietary cold chain solution that protects frozen bull semen from adverse temperature fluctuations, resulting in an increased likelihood of AI fertilisation success. The Worthington Industries and Global Good is designed the technology to reduce the fertilisation failure in AI service delivery by lessening the spread of venereal diseases in livestock keeping.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Global Good commercialisation senior official, Mr Manan Shukla, said Tanzania was one of the African countries that faced semen handling and exposure problems by smallholder farmers. It is estimated that semen handling and exposure problems reduce conception rates by up to 60 per cent.

“We offer AI shield because we are committed to eradicating poverty and malnutrition to smallholder farmers and Tanzanians by increasing massive and affordable cattle,” he said, noting that the well-established technology would reduce a need for Tanzania to import milk and meat from abroad.