Indiscriminate Artificial Insemination: Animal Reproduction Experts React

Animal Reproduction Experts in the country, have reacted over what they call indiscriminate artificial insemination of livestock resources, saying it has grave implications.

Speaking under their professional umbrella, The Society for Animal Reproduction and Improvement (SARI) they said the indiscriminate pattern of artificial insemination, if not controlled would do irreversible damage to Nigeria’s livestock genetic resources.

A release signed by SARI president, Professor S.Idowu Ola, and sent to our correspondent, showed that the body raised the warning over Indiscriminate Artificial Insemination during its public webinar organised recently to sensitise the country and in particular the policy formulators in the Departments of Animal Husbandry Services and Veterinary and Pest Control Services, both under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

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The webinar titled “Prognostic Impact of Artificial Insemination interventions on Nigeria

Livestock Industry: 2010 – 2022 as case study, featured a lead paper presented by Professor

Olufisayo Leigh of the Department of Theriogenology, University of Ibadan, with over 70 participants in attendance.

Attendees included Directors of Veterinary and Pest Control Services and Animal Husbandry Services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

“There were also some directors of veterinary services at the states Ministry of Agriculture, chief executives of animal breeding companies and professional animal scientists and veterinarians in attendance”, the release said, adding that three major issues that require urgent attention thus were identified.

These included the way and manner that foreign genetic resources enter into Nigeria, the pattern of training of artificial inseminators, as well as Lack of proper and adequate records, documentation and evaluation of previous and ongoing artificial insemination interventions

Observing that the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services is saddled with the responsibilities of controlling importation of semen and other live biologics into the country, SARI expressed worry that the control appears to be loose as many unapproved breeders still bring in semen without proper approval.

It thus expressed serious concern that the economic merits for some traits of any genetic material ought to be evaluated first before import permits are issued and not just health evaluation alone.

“This can only be done through performance records of progenies for estimated breeding value (EBV). An economically useless genetic material may be healthy”.

On the issue of the training of artificial inseminators, it said a procedure

supposed to be carried out by competent professionals and technicians was now being

extended to ordinary farm hands and illiterate farmers leading to Indiscriminate Artificial Insemination practices.

According to it, inseminated animals ought to be under confinement housing because inseminating free range cattle is a cause of genetic dilution or erosion of indigenous genetic capital that is worth trillion dollars even though

yet untapped.

On the issue of inadequate records on previous and ongoing insemination interventions, the association opined that each AI intervention programme/scheme needs to be followed through to the progeny records and evaluation in order to be sure that the desired improvement has been achieved or otherwise.

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SARI strongly advised that the entire process including breed recommendation, import

permission for semen and embryo, training and certification of artificial inseminators, breed and breeding efficiency evaluation and documentation of breeding intervention results should be properly looked into.

This it said, could be achieved, through calling a stakeholders forum where all concerned bodies including SARI would form synergies and contribute towards producing the most desired policy framework

Such a framework should be towards improving the Nigeria livestock industry along the reproductive management line.