This visit was a combination of running two training courses for prospective inseminators and a 1 day workshop covering gestation diagnosis for students trained in 2005.

The government prior to my arrival had already selected the students for the two courses by advertising via the media. The government have a target of 400 trained inseminators by the end of 2007. This meant that the number of courses being run was increased to two with 75 students attending the training. The increase in the number of students being trained was achieved by the theory part of the course commencing before my arrival, tutored by Dr. Otto Muhinda.

The courses were held in Butare at the ISAR centres Songa and Rubona (34 students) and Nyagatare and Karama (41 students). Both courses ran very smoothly. There was a plentiful supply of cows giving the students ample opportunity for practise. The one day workshop was carried out at Gitarama and provided further knowledge to those students first trained in 2005.

Whilst in Rwanda I was invited to attend a 2 day conference run by the Ministry of Agriculture in Gysenyi. The main topic of discussion was the country’s programme for 2007. Dr Theogen Rutagwenda gave a talk on the merits and progress of artificial insemination in Rwanda.

In mid-march another two courses will be run and now that several courses have been concluded it was paramount to monitor standards of previous graduates to ensure that best practice is carried out. This would be ongoing and commenced during the next visit in March.

To demonstrate the progress of the insemination programme it is worth noting that the Eastern province with 450,000 cattle had two inseminators in 2005 and now number 53, which is a marked improvement in numbers.

Resources such as hormones, gloves and lubricant are proving difficult to source at competitive prices and efforts are being made to find alternative sources.

Grateful thanks are extended to New Era Veterinary practice for their contribution of syringes, needles and preventative medicine.

The Rwandan government requested another 24,000 doses of Jersey semen to implement their programme of cross breeding with the indigenous breed Ankole.

Rwanda has drawn up a policy to provide each family with a cow, with the aim of distributing 16,000 animals this year. If you would like to read more about Rwanda’s ‘One Cow Per Family Policy’ please click on the link below.