Kirinyaga County to establish semen bank to boost breeds

The population of dairy animals in Kirinyaga County stands at only 77,000 despite the high potential in the sector.

County head of veterinary services Dr Mary Aburi said most farmers have been put off from dairy farming due to challenges ranging from poor quality animal feeds, to low milk producing animals.

Speaking at a sector forum in Kutus town yesterday, Ms Aburi expressed the  need to establish a semen bank in the area.

“Once we establish the bank, farmers will be able to access high quality semen for their animals, which will in turn translate to high milk production,” she said.

Presently, artificial insemination (IA) services are carried out by private practitioners who retail semen at unaffordable rates.

“Due to the high cost of the certified semen, most farmers end up reverting to the use of anything they can afford. This has resulted in poor animal management,’’ Aburi said.

During the forum, Peter Kariuki, a farmer from the area urged the county government to establish an animal feed factory, since the county relies on poor feeds from Thika and Nairobi.

  facing challenges

“When you read the labels on animal feeds, the contents are appealing but the feeds turn out to be poor quality. This has resulted in poor production,” said Mr Kariuki.

Governor Joseph Ndathi admitted that the dairy sector was facing a myriad of challenges, some of which require the attention of the national government.

“ I am aware the poor state of the roads is a major hindrance to the delivery of milk to the markets. Some of the roads that remain unattended belong to the national government,’’ he said.

Ndathi however, assured the farmers that urgent measures are being taken to improve animal management in the area.