Two courses were run numbering 45 students in the south of the country around Butare. 38 of these trainees were successful. In total so far approximately 300 inseminators have been trained. As well as running the courses the opportunity was taken to do some follow-ups with previous candidates as well as seeing the progress of cows inseminated with Jersey semen.

The follow-ups proved to be quite difficult or rather time consuming as although Rwanda is quite small the terrain and roads makes for long journeys.

The follow-ups proved to be encouraging in the respect that smallholdings are increasing their animals through the insemination scheme with some being demonstrations units to other farmers interested in starting up similar farms.

One particular farmer who had participated in the government’s scheme of ‘One Cow Per Poor Family’ with a donation of a Jersey from ‘Heifer International’ had now increased his stock by insemination of Jersey semen. This had increased his total milk yield enabling him to sustain a living from his unit for his famjly, including five children. This farmer, Cyprien Harinaintwari, was visited in 2005 owning 3 cows and has now increased his holding to 8 animals. He has subsequently given up his other employment and is now concentrating on his animals.

The follow-ups also proved invaluable in sorting out teething problems with local inseminators and their prospective clients.

One particular farm, which had been set up as a demonstration small holding by the local anglican diocese in Cyangugu, (situated on the border with Congo, south of Lake Kivu) had had problems with inseminating their small number of cows. This smallholding had been set up so that the local populace will be able to see the benefits and methods of this type of smallholding (cows, goats, pigs and rabbits & arable), Our visit hopefully resolved this issue in the immediate future and their veterinary technician will be included as a student on one of the future insemination courses.

At present the training of the inseminators is going well, although the providing of sufficient liquid nitrogen will prove to be quite challenging when the final number of inseminators are trained. This hopefully will be sorted out with time.

Time had been set aside to restructure the AI centre at Masaka but until such a time as these practicalities are resolved, the setting up of a fully functioning AI centre has been postponed.

Another issue is the data and keeping of records. An efficient method of recording needs to be set up and implemented.

Andre Militis
April 2007