Farmers Get Liquid Nitrogen Tanks, Artificial Insemination Equipment
The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), through its African Development Bank-funded Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (AVCP-1), purchased six (6) liquid nitrogen tanks.
The 600 litres capacity tank will be positioned strategically along the Artificial Insemination (AI) inputs delivery routes in order to serve the technicians in those communities better.
The National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB), a statutory agency responsible for facilitating the genetic improvement of livestock in Uganda, will deliver and issue out the liquid nitrogen stored in these tanks to the technicians. This will reduce the frequent and costly journey to Entebbe to pick the same.
Dr. Mubiru Jackson, the Manager in charge of Assisted Reproductive Technologies at NAGRC&DB said the AI services are offered by a specialized group of technicians at a cost to farmers. This has been the reason why government subsidizes its delivery to livestock-keeping communities.
Uganda mostly relies on Artificial Insemination (AI) to introduce new breeds and improve the existing dairy and beef cattle herds in order to increase production and productivity.
The tanks are to be positioned in Gulu, at the district headquarters, Luwero at the Luwero AI satellite Centre, Buikwe, at Njeru Stock Farm, Entebbe, Mbarara, at MBAZARDI and Bunyangabo/Fortportal at Rubona Stock Farm.
