Boost to milk, beef production as over 350 embryos of Brazilian Girolando cow breed arrives

Brazil Ambassador to Kenya Silvio Albuquerque (left) with Makongi Agri Limited (Indicus Genetics) CEO Tim Chesire while receiving the first 300 Girolando Embryo consignment from Brazil set to improve dairy production in the country. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Production of milk and beef in the country is set to rise significantly.

This is after Makongi Agri Ltd, which runs Makongi Farm in Eldoret through its sister company Indicus East Africa Ltd managed to import over 350 embryos of Girolando dairy cow breed from Brazil.

The embryos will be fertilised through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) embryo transfer (ET). The company established the IVF lab in 2015 with Brazil support.

The breed was created in Brazil by crossing Gyr cattle from India, a Bos indicus breed, which is resistant to hot temperatures and tropical diseases, with Holstein cows, a Bos taurus breed.

They are known for their robust nature and good milk production and generally convert feed to milk efficiently, with an average milk production of around 3,600 kg per lactation over 305 days (based on two milkings per day).

Tim Chesire, managing director of Makongi Agri Limited, on Thursday said the embryos will mark a complete mindset and a revolution in agriculture and dairy farming, in Kenya and across the African continent.

“Today we mark a historic moment in Kenya’s dairy sector and celebrate the enduring partnership between Kenya and Brazil. This occasion is not just about the arrival of over 350 Girolando embryos, it is about a shift in mindset, a revolution in African dairy farming and the forging of a true South-South collaboration,” said Chesire.

He added: “Girolando is a story of resilience, adaptation and innovation. And if you look back to how it started in Brazil in the early 1900s, the Brazilians were where we are today in dairy farming, struggling with European cattle breeds.”

Chesire was speaking on Thursday at the Brazil Embassy in Kenya in Gigiri, Nairobi in the presence of Brazilian Ambassador to Kenya Silvio Albuquerque, Dr David Ojigo, Deputy Head of Animal Breeding & Reproductive Services Section at Directorate of Veterinary Services(DVS).

Also present was Kenya Animal Genetic Resources Centre(KAGRC) Director of Research and Technical Services Dr. Paul Egesa.

The firm championed the Ayrshire breed in Kenya for the last 30 to 40 years and has been sending semen to the Artificial Insemination (AI) station at KAGRC, where many breeds have been produced.

Chesire said the plans to bring in the Girolando embryos in the country started in 2015.

He said Kenya is working with unsuitable breeds that are not disease and heat tolerant.

“So, the Brazilians realised this early on, brought in an early 20th century breed called the Gir from India, crossed it and completely changed how they do their dairy. Today, 90 percent of the milk produced in Brazil comes from a cross-breed cow Girolando,” he said.

He said the breed has high feed conversion rate, thus enabling it to produce up to 35 litres of milk per day in Brazil compared to an average of 16 to 17 litres of the cows in Kenya.

Chesire said Kenya is the second country in the world to start commercial AI after Russia, and should be world leaders as far as genetics are concerned. But it is not.

“The reason for that is we are working with unsuitable breeds. We need to work with our environment, with genetics that are suited to us. Our reliance on European breeds  is a technical challenge and actually, it's a mindset that we inherited and today, we break free from that mentality with Girolando breed,” he said.

He said together with KAGRIC, who they are running this largest embryo project in Africa, they’re looking at a project together with the government of doing almost 1,600 embryos in the near future.

“So this consignment marks the first of many embryos that are to come and we hope most of them will come from Brazil,” he said.

Ambassador Albuquerque welcomed the Girolando embryos in Kenya, saying it is a testament to the success of our trade negotiations and a reflection of the strong partnership between two nations.

"More than a business transaction, this initiative represents a meaningful exchange of knowledge, technology, and shared aspirations for a thriving agricultural sector,” said Amb. Albuquerque.

He said for decades, Brazil and Kenya have enjoyed a robust trade relationship, particularly in agriculture with Brazil being a key supplier of agricultural machinery and processed goods, while Kenya has proudly exported its world-renowned tea, coffee and horticultural products.

“Brazilian technology is deeply embedded in Kenya’s economic landscape, from Embraer planes flying in our skies to Marcopolo buses on our roads. Today, we add yet another chapter to this collaboration by bringing advanced livestock reproduction technology to Kenya," said Ambassador Albuquerqu.

The envoy said introduction of Girolando embryos into Kenya will revolutionise the dairy industry by enhancing productivity, resilience, and adaptability to tropical climates.

“This breed is renowned for its high milk yield and ability to thrive in conditions similar to those in Kenya. By leveraging Brazil’s expertise in embryo transfer technology, we are equipping Kenyan farmers with the tools needed to enhance food security, reduce dependency on imports, and improve nutrition across the country.

Dr Ojigo said they have worked with the company and Brazilian authorities and have given the importation a clean bill of health.

“We have been able to contract with our friends and to be able to work with the officers so that we are able to ensure that one of the mandates of the national government is to do what we call develop policies,  be able to do capacity building, and to be able to set standards,” said Dr Ojigo.

He added: “Also, for this particular issue, we've been able to set standards to ensure that whatever genetic material comes from outside Kenya actually meet the standards that are going to ensure that our production goes high and also that our population of animals is well protected from like you know, diseases which might be prevalent in other parts of the world and which might not be, you know, present in Kenya.”