Evaluation of Artificial Insemination Efficiency in and Around Ejere District, Western Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted from August to November 2014 in and around Ejere district, western Shoa zone, Ethiopa to assess and evaluate the perception of community members towards artificial insemination service, identify the major challenges associated withartificial insemination services in six selected villages. In this study a structured questionnaire was used and 134 respondents (120 small holders’ farmers and 14 artificial insemination service professionals) were interviewed. According to the study result 85% of the respondents have got AI service regularly and without interruptions while 15% of them do not ask for artificial insemination service due to in availability of artificial insemination technicians (8.3%), long distance from artificial insemination service center (5%) and discontinuation of service on weekends and holidays (2%). The study has clearly confirmed that more than 85% of the respondents showed satisfaction with the overall artificial insemination services. The retrospective data showed that cattle owners lived 30 km awayfrom AI centers do not get the service. Among the small holder respondents (95.8%) identified the problems of inbreeding like: low milk production (33.3%), low genetic improvements (19.2%), low milk production and genetic improvement (43.3%) and low resistance to diseases (0.8%). The awareness of the respondents toward in breeding problem was 55.6% in cross breed, 28.7% in local breeding and 15.6% in exotic breed. The major identified constraints of artificial insemination service in the study area should be inefficiency of artificial insemination technicians, conception failure and unavailability of semen on time. The retrospective data at artificial insemination centers also showed that the number of artificial insemination users increasing from year to year but the number of calves born are decreasing in relation to numbers of inseminated cows due to conception failure and heat detection problem. Therefore, the operation of artificial insemination service in the study area requires immediate measures to change the situation.