Nyamira county Deputy governor, Amos Nyaribo has called upon farmers in the county to use modern technology in farming and discouraged farmers in the area from using traditional insemination methods while breeding their cattle if they expect to increase their production. Addressing the press in Nyamira town during the open of Techonology in farming training week in Nyamira Nyaribo said the traditional bull insemination had outlived its relevance and was giving rise to inferior stock besides enhancing the transmission of hereditary diseases.
The deputy governor emphasized the need for farmers to use artificial insemination for their livestock to ensure healthy stock and better yields. He said that the natural insemination by use of bulls was the root cause of lower milk production and weak stock among the small farm holders in the area due to uncontrolled line breeding.
Nyaribo said that the county government had procured motorcycles for the livestock department to help extension officers traverse the county for the purpose of serving farmers stock at subsidized rates. He announced that every farmer would part with shs. 500 rather than the conventional fee of shs.1, 500 to inseminate one cow with superior breed certified semen.
The Deputy Governor at the same time said his livestock team would also help induce cows so that they could be on heat at predictable durations for ease of monitoring and service. He said that plans were underway to put up milk coolers at strategic points to help tap on the precedent milk boom to boost marketing and stem milk wastage.