February 28, 2023

 

More Jamaican agriculture personnel get training in cattle artificial insemination

 

 

More Jamaican and regional agricultural professionals have received training and certification in artificial insemination (AI) as a result of a collaboration between Nutramix and Select Sires Incorporation, helping to transform the cattle industry in the Caribbean.

 

Fifteen workers took part in three days of hands-on training sessions held at the Windalco Sports Club in Kirkvine, Manchester, Jamaica, from January 31 to February 2. The participants included animal health technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture's Veterinary Services Division, instructors from the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), AI technicians and people who work on local farms as technical personnel.

 

The workshop sensitised participants about the anatomy and physiology of cows, the various AI techniques, heat detection and the timing of insemination.

 

Upon completion, the trainees were certified as artificial insemination technicians in cattle by Select Sires.

 

The recent programme was led by Dr. Gabrielle Young, senior manager of livestock support at Nutramix, and Richard Ellerbrook, Select Sires senior US technical services manager.

 

The usage of "superior sires" (the male parent of an animal) around the world has had a significant impact on and contributed to the development of the local industry and its output quality, according to Young.

 

"...with AI, you can collect the semen from the best animal, so you will be getting superior genetics from the best animals in the world," she explained, adding that there would evidently be an improvement in the gene pool of 20 and 30 times the normal local production.

 

She added that this also benefits Jamaica with new bloodlines for breeds and improves animals' milk yields, their growth rate and the overall productivity of the nation's herds.

 

To increase the production and productivity of livestock development in Jamaica and the Caribbean, the Food and Agriculture Organization and similar organisations began providing training in AI techniques in 2015.

 

This is the fourth training and certification session that has been held in Jamaica.

 

- The Gleaner