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The new agreement saw JSR deliver 20 Large White, Geneconverter 500 and 750 boars to a brand new boar stud in Nigeria at the end of June. The IAR&T is part of the Obafemi Awolowo University and is one of the foremost national agricultural research institutes in Nigeria.
The institute works closely with resource-poor farmers throughout south-western Nigeria and aims to improve the genetic potential and yield of crops, livestock and other commodities. It also works to improve agricultural technologies, increase and maximise overall productivity and provide training for national agricultural development.
JSR Agent for West Africa, Ayodele Oniku, worked alongside the team at JSR and the IAR&T to oversee the delivery and JSR also provided two weeks of training to two members of staff from the institute, who will work at the stud. This included classroom training covering biosecurity, collecting and processing semen and serving and farrowing on farm.
Ben Rawson, Key Account Manager at JSR Genetics, is pleased that this first shipment to Nigeria was such a success and believes that a positive precedent has been established for the future:
“When I joined the JSR Genetics team I was presented with the task of completing a sale of boars to a Nigerian boar stud that had been in progress for some time. As Africa strives towards a more sustainable future, we deal with many enquiries from the continent, but with finances being very tight and controlled heavily by the government, many of these never get past the quote stage.
“However, working with the IAR&T was different, and with perseverance and lots of hard work from Ayodele Oniku, we secured the finances and were able to deliver the boars to the stud in late June. With delegates from the IAR&T having visited JSR Genetics for an intensive two-week training programme, we feel safe in the knowledge that the boars will be well looked after and that this will create a blueprint for future orders going to Africa.”
Dr Kingsley Adesehinwa from the IAR&T, said:
“We were all so pleased that the pigs arrived safely at their destination and can report that they are settled in and are doing well after their quarantine period. Everyone at the Institute is very appreciative of the help and support received from JSR, and especially for their perseverance. We are very much looking forward to supplying semen from the stud across Nigeria and seeing the result of everyone’s hard work.”
July 12, 2013 - JSR
