Government cuts AI semen cost to Sh1,400

The government has reduced the cost of Artificial Insemination semen for dairy breeding from Sh8,000 to Sh1,400 per dose.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the ministry of Agriculture will cut the price of certified seeds by 50 per cent, in a fresh package of measures aimed at lowering production costs and boosting agricultural productivity.

The interventions were introduced in response to a less productive farming season and were intended to cushion farmers from rising input costs while encouraging them to increase production.

The government has moved to make improved livestock breeding technology more affordable. The price of sexed semen used for artificial insemination in dairy cattle has been reduced from Sh8,000 to Sh1,400 per dose.

“Livestock farmers, we have reduced the price of semen for dairy production from Sh8,000 to Sh1,400 for artificial insemination,” Kindiki said.

The semen is treated to increase the likelihood that a calf will be female. The technology is particularly useful in dairy farming because female calves can be retained as replacement stock, enabling farmers to expand productive herds and, over time, increase milk production and household incomes.

Artificial insemination involves depositing semen collected from a selected bull into a cow's reproductive tract to achieve pregnancy without natural mating. It allows farmers to access genetics from high-quality dairy bulls and improve the productivity of local cattle.

Kindiki announced the measures on Tuesday at his Karen office in Nairobi while receiving final technical preparedness reports for the first cohort of eight County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs), which the government plans to equip and operationalise before the end of the year.

Under the new seed pricing arrangement, a kilogramme of certified seed that previously retailed at Sh300 will now cost Sh150, while a two-kilogramme pack will cost Sh300, down from Sh600.

“The government has put in additional subsidy to support farmers. Now that the season was not very, very productive, we have reduced the price of certified seeds by 50 per cent, effective immediately,” Kindiki said.

The lower prices are expected to make certified planting material more accessible to smallholder farmers, allowing them to redirect savings towards other farm inputs and improve yields.

The national measures come against a backdrop of continuing efforts to reduce the cost of agricultural production and strengthen key value chains.

Other interventions include subsidised fertiliser, mass livestock vaccination campaigns, tax exemptions on yellow maize to reduce feed costs, and investment in milk cooling infrastructure, with more than 230 milk coolers distributed across the country.

The initial value chains identified for the parks include macadamia processing in Meru and Embu, tomato paste manufacturing in Kirinyaga, and leather and camel milk processing in Wajir. Kisii, Busia, Garissa and Migori will initially focus on avocado oil, cassava starch, sunflower oil and fish feed respectively.

At the county level, similar efforts are being made to reduce the cost of livestock breeding. In Kakamega, the county government has cut the cost of artificial insemination services from Sh3,000 to Sh700 over the past six months, in partnership with Farm Input Promotions Africa (FIPS Africa).

County Chief Officer for Livestock Production, Veterinary Services and Fisheries Oscar Odunga said the subsidy was designed to help small-scale farmers access better breeding services.

Farmers whose cows fail to conceive during the first attempt will pay Sh350 for a repeat service, compared with the previous Sh3,000 cost.

“We have reduced that to Sh350 so that we could share the cost with the farmer. When fertilisation does not take place, it is not the farmer's fault,” Odunga said.

The programme, which began in May, has reached more than 1,700 farmers. Kakamega has trained two AI providers in each of its 12 subcounties, with the aim of ensuring farmers can access an inseminator within 12 hours when a cow is on heat.

“Our goal is to upgrade our cows from the local breed to crossbreeds, which have higher milk-production potential,” Odunga said.