Kenya sets up new AI station for pigs, steps up measures to ward off competition in deep sea fishing
KENYA -The Kenyan government has signed a memorandum of understanding with The Kenya Animal Genetic Resource Centre (KAGRC) to establish an Artificial Insemination (AI) station for pigs in Kakamega County.
Speaking in Kakamega, the managing director at KAGRC Dr David Kios stated that the AI station will be the first station in Kakamega county to supply semen across the country and KAGRC will support the county government in setting up a Liquid Nitrogen Plant to help them carry out AI services efficiently.
Since pigs take a long process to reach the market, he added that the institution will boost the pig farming industry.
Kakamega County introduced Artificial insemination for pigs in the mid last year through a public-private partnership with Vuka Agribusiness Company to increase yields.
The Company was also set to support the enterprise from the production, breeding, marketing, and value addition.
The County Government aimed to utilize the Pig Breeding and Multiplication Centre at the Bukura Agricultural and Training Centre (ATC), for training veterinary doctors and setting up a centre for AI dissemination.
Currently, farmers in Kakamega keep the Large White and Landrace pigs, not the exotic Duroc breed. The County has approximately 100, 000 pigs.
“With the technology, we shall end up with superior breeds and the ones that mature faster,” County Officer-In-Charge of Pig Farming and Agribusiness in Kakamega, Henry Ondanga noted.
He further noted that the technology will be a game changer, with expectations that the number of farmers rearing pigs will increase from the current 20,000.
“With AI we shall have faster multiplication of pigs, therefore, we shall be able to provide high-quality piglets to farmers who want to venture into pig farming, at a lower cost,” he said.
Kenya steps up measures to ward off competition in deep sea fishing
Meanwhile, the government is also planning to deploy 72 new vessels in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO) to ward off stiff competition for tuna fishing by foreign countries.
Kenya has been importing labour mainly from West Africa and Seychelles to work in the deep sea fishing industry due to a lack of local skills.
The government is therefore targeting to train at least 5000 local fishermen who will be able to fish beyond 3 nautical miles to deep waters and equip them with safety skills, gear technology, navigation, search and rescue and survival in the deep sea.
The government aims to enhance the participation of local fishermen in the exploitation of marine resources to create jobs and enhance food security.
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