Ekiti Govt Adopts AI for Livestock Production Boost

Discover how Ekiti’s new artificial insemination initiative is set to revolutionize livestock production and boost efficiency.

In a bid to improve agricultural yields and ensure food sufficiency within the state, Ekiti government has implemented artificial insemination in livestock farming practices.

Ebenezer Boluwade, the commissioner in charge of Agriculture and Food Security, stated that the application of artificial insemination could potentially bring about a breakthrough in livestock farming by enhancing productivity, fertility rates and efficient herd management while mitigating disease spread.

During a three-day capacity-building programme for the Extension Agents and Livestock Extension Service Providers on Artificial Insemination, Boluwade made this statement in Ado-Ekiti, which is the capital of Ekiti state. The Minister of Agriculture conducted this program under the World Bank-funded Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) project on Tuesday, July 16th.

He observed that deploying reproductive technology interventions would alter the mechanics of animal farming. This is because such interventionist measures enable farmers to breed superior-quality livestock while enhancing their overall financial gains.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration has provided farmers in the state with palliatives to improve food security amid inflation, according to the commissioner who reiterated the government’s commitment to enhancing food production.

He said, “This technique has the potential to revolutionize livestock farming in Ekiti State. By using artificial insemination methods, they can breed female animals with semen from male ones without physical contact. Similar practices are already prevalent in pig industries of countries like United States and European nations.”

By implementing this strategy, we are generating additional employment opportunities for our community while concurrently boosting their earnings and efficiency. Even with modest modifications, they stand to benefit tremendously. Our end goal is a shift in the livestock industry’s paradigm towards more positive outcomes.

According to Olayinka Adetipe, the project coordinator of L-PRES state, the objective of organizing this workshop was to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of artificial insemination and equip them with skills that can be shared among farmers residing in all 16 local government areas within the state.

“Artificial insemination plays a critical role in animal production,” he stated. “We have assembled extension agents and livestock service providers for this purpose, with the aim of extending our services across all 16 LGAs in Ekiti State.”

Our personnel were carefully chosen with the aim of equipping them, through this training program, to educate farmers and implement artificial insemination in their respective communities.

He added that “In addition, we aim to avoid diseases as much as possible, many of which can be transmitted through sexual contact. By not requiring direct male-to-female animal interaction, the incidence of disease will decrease.”