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On Friday, July 29, we hosted an information webinar on the importance of artificial insemination in the swine industry. The key speakers for the session were Prof. Curtis Youngs from Iowa State University, Dr. Javier Martin from Pig333, and Dr. Sofia from KUBUS. The session was organized by Prof. Donald Kugonza from Makerere University in collaboration with Mr. Isaac Kasoro from Seminate Agrisolutions ltd. This session aimed to avail information and knowledge to pig farmers, artificial insemination technicians, animal scientists, and students.
The discussions were kicked off by a presentation from Prof. Curtis on “the principles of genetic improvement.” The thinking behind this presentation is that pig farmers are not given an “instructions manual” whenever they are starting pig production. Hence important to start with insights on how best to improve the genetics of our animals. The success of any pig production and breeding program is greatly dependent on the animal’s genetic composition. He further urged farmers to always keep records, follow appropriate selection procedures both for males and females, and pay attention to biosecurity and artificial insemination.
Dr. Javier gave an informative presentation on how to stimulate both gilts and sows and how to properly detect heat. He then went ahead to differentiate between heat detection and stimulation in both gilts and sows. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of inseminating at appropriate age and weight, proper feeding and nutrition as well as close monitoring of the sows and gilts.
Dr. Sofia emphasized the need for Artificial Insemination in Pigs. She said, “If you’re in Pig production, Artificial Insemination is a must and no longer an option.” She then dug deep into defining artificial Insemination, explaining further the importance of artificial insemination, and the insemination process. She also gave insights on semen collection and how best to keep semen viable.
In case you missed this session and would love to listen in, feel free to follow this link and share your comments or questions. (Passcode: .k4Wf.7&)
For more information regarding this session and the next session kindly send an email to Mr. Isaac Kasoro: isaackasoro@gmail.com / kasoroisaac@gmail.com.
We would like to thank all participants that attend and look forward to better pig production!
August 3, 2022 - KUBUS
