At least N9.2million has been budgeted by the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project to purchase five pure breeds of Friesian bulls to boost animal insemination at Kadawa Insemination Center.
The center is situated at Garun-Malam Local government area of the state.
KSADP was supported by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).
The project Coordinator, Ibrahim Garba-Muhammad, made this known through the project Communication Specialist, Ameen Yassar, in a statement on Friday in Kano.
He said that the contract was awarded to Hamjik Agric Plus Limited.
Garba-Muhammad said, “Friesian cattle produce large quantity of milk and their male calves can also be fattened to produce good quality beef.
“You may be aware that Kano has two Animal Insemination Centres, one in Kadawa and the other one in Makoda.
“Our project will equip and operationalize the one at Kadawa to enable it to inseminate 25,000 cows per annum, beginning from this year.
“That is why we are providing the bulls,” he said.
He stated that Artificial Insemination (AI) was an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) explored universally to deposit or store semen directly into a cow or heifer’s uterus.
Garba-Muhammad said this had numerous benefits over natural mating, which included reducing sexually transmitted diseases among cattle and improving genetic quality of livestock.
According to him, the insemination strategy would also go a long way in improving the livelihoods of pastoralists and cattle breeders, considering the increasing need for dairy products and beef in the state and the country at large.
“This initiative is part of the project’s objective to contribute to improving food and nutrition security as well as reducing poverty in the state,” he said.
