To enhance livestock production and revolutionise the country’s agricultural landscape, Impala Rural Training Centre on the outskirts of Francistown was last week launched as an Artificial Insemination Training Centre.
The next two centres will be launched as Artificial Insemination Training Centres will be Mahalapye and Nxaraga.
Officially launching the AI training initiative at Impala rural training centre, Agriculture Minister Fedelis Molao said the training is aimed at improving livestock breeding practices, enhancing generic diversity of livestock and have high quality livestock.
“The Ramatlabama and Impala centres have not only facilitated improved breeding practices but have also empowered local livestock farmers with the skill and knowledge essential to enhance their livestock yields,” Molao highlighted.
With a backlog of over 200 small scale farmers waiting to be trained in AI, Molao said launching the programmes at Impala AI training centre will elevate the waiting list. So far 23 other farmers have been trained in AI at the same training centre. A second batch of 28 men and women had been enrolled for the 18-day training programme.
Molao urged the trainees to be diligent in their training and ensure they grasp all the necessary skills and use the knowledge to eradicate poverty in their lives and communities.
“Use this opportunity to the best you can and when you leave this training centre the knowledge and skills you would have acquired use them to improve your lives and the quality of your livestock.”
He went on to remind them that agriculture is the backbone of any country. In Botswana it is the mainstay of rural communities.
“Government has reduced the training fees for AI from P6 500 to P500 to enable as many Batswana farmers to tap into this lucrative industry. For you to become AI service providers and unlock new revenue streams in the process,” continued Molao.
He indicated that having more AI centres across the country will also widen access, enhance breeding efforts and external reach of AI services to a wider pool of farmers.
Meanwhile giving the objectives of the launch at the event, acting permanent secretary in the ministry Boitumelo Mogome said the purpose of the event was to recognise Impala as an Artificial Insemination Centre.
“The official opening will give way to training more inseminators to facilitate the implementation of the revised artificial insemination programme,” she said.
She further said the purpose of training inseminators was to promote the uptake of the AI services by the farming community which will result in improvement of the production parametres.
