CEBU CITY – A total of 7,520 calves have been produced by the artificial insemination (AI) program of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the agency’s regional office in Central Visayas reported on Monday.
This was learned through the Unified National Artificial Insemination Program (UNAIP) team of the region that conducted a monitoring and validation of the artificially inseminated cattle and its calves in the province of Cebu.
The group from the DA-7's Livestock Program and Cebu Provincial Veterinary Office validated the inseminated animals and their offspring in the municipalities of Carmen, Tabuelan, Tuburan, Barili, Dalaguete and the cities of Toledo and Carcar.
Rudito Mumar, DA-7's AI coordinator, in a statement said the region was able to inseminate some 16,682 heads of cattle producing some 7,520 calves for the year 2020.
He said the monitoring and evaluation will serve as an avenue to solicit concerns and feedback from the beneficiaries and to further encourage the farmers to upgrade the quality of breed of their existing cattle and carabaos through the AI technology.
UNAIP is a program of the DA that aims to increase and upgrade the cattle/carabao herd as well as the dairy industry in the country.
Aside from monitoring, the team also administered vitamins and deworming and ear tagging of the AI offspring.
Teodora Aliñabon, a farmer from the southern town of Dalaguete in Cebu, was quoted as saying that she favored having AI offspring over those born out of the natural method.
“The growth of the AI offspring was so fast, that in four months, it can be sold at PHP22,000,” she said in the local dialect.
“This is a big help to my family. The AI offspring is also very good to be used as a breeder. I am very thankful to the government for the new technology,” she said. (PNA)