A group photo of the officials and the first group of 20 privately trained animal vets
The first set of privately trained animal vets has graduated with artificial insemination skills that will enable Rwanda to meet its target of increasing livestock productivity aligned in the 2nd national strategy for transformation (NST2).
The group of 20 vets who graduated this September 27, 2024, were selected from across the country, to receive a week-long intensive practical training in using artificial insemination technology in cattle.
The vets become the first group of vets to be trained by a private company- Umucyo VetConsult ltd- the only licensed company to do so, following the shift in the government’s approach to engage the private sector through the Vets Public Private Partnership.
Fieldwork: Vet Grace Nakure (middle) learns how to use the AI tech
Rwanda Council of Veterinary Doctors (RCVD) said that though the use of bovine artificial insemination technology has been around from the 1980’s, skills and advanced training has been provided by the government and its affiliated entities.
“This new shift to engage the private sector in improving animal breeds will increase access and improve services that many vets and farmers have been lacking,” said Dr. Laurien Ntamugabumwe, the Head of Training and Research at RCVD.
Besides acquiring the new skills, Ntamugabumwe said that the graduates will play a key role in implementing Rwanda’s second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) that aims to increase livestock productivity.
Some of the vets from different parts of Rwanda
Agriculture remains the backbone of Rwanda’s economy, and in the NST2-(2024-2029), Rwanda anticipates a modernized agriculture system to achieve over 6% annual growth.
The strategy focuses towards making agriculture more market-oriented and sustainable by increasing productivity by over 50% and overall, this will be achieved through an 85% expansion in irrigated land, greater access to fertilizers and seeds, improved animal breeds, and a significant boost in the domestic production of animal feeds and Improved animal breeds.
Furthermore, the Rwandan government has announced plans to start producing milk powder in the eastern province, with a projected demand of over 500,000 liters of milk per day and has introduced new semen of potential dairy cattle breed called “Girolando. These initiatives underscore the importance of enhancing the efficiency and productivity of the dairy sector to meet growing demand.
However, despite the government having set up infrastructure and facilities to improve animal breeds, the skills gap in artificial insemination of cattle remains low with only 15% of the vets able to provide the service to meet the ever increasing demand from livestock keepers.
This shortage poses a significant challenge to the dairy sector, as it limits access to essential veterinary services and expertise needed to improve animal health and reproductive performance.
Dr. Innocent Shyaka
Dr. Innocent Shyaka, the Managing Director of Umucyo VetConsult ltd- a private company, engaged in livestock capacity building for vets and farmers, said that in partnership with Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) they target to annually train at least 100 more vets to acquire artificial insemination skills which involve practicals field learning.
“Our target is to train four cycles of 25 vets per year, since we already have support for free facilities provided by RAB and the candidates paying for the courses,” Shyaka said.
Shyaka stated that these training will have more benefits to the farmers, the vet’s career and increased incomes but also contribute to the national targets of improving livestock productivity.
Trainees celebrating end of the week-long practical sessions
For instance, the trainees, equipped bovine inseminators will now be available for service delivery to farmers (with an Artificial insemination-(AI) kit availed to each trainee) improved cattle reproductive efficiency through strong follow up of trainees, economic empowerment and job creation, increased productivity; and support existing national policies and initiatives.
Shyaka also revealed that similar advanced vet trainings will be conducted for other animal fields such as- in poultry, piggery and among other domestic animals.
Trained vets shared their experiences at the end of the training where they expressed gratitude towards the training organisers
Beatrice Muhawenimana, a qualified graduate vet from Rulindo district, has been waiting for the last two years to get advanced training in artificial insemination skills as slots were unavailable or limited, but appreciated the new model of private sector-led training that will open more doors in her career.
“I badly needed these skills to improve my career path but I have had to wait for all this time because of limited training opportunities available. That is why when I heard of this training, I couldn’t hesitate to, even when it required paying for it,” Muhawenimana said.
Beatrice Muhawenimana
The representative of the National Animal Genetic Improvement Center at RAB, Dr. Jean Claude Abijuru said that they target to increase the number of trained vet technicians to at least 300 annually, as a way of improving livestock breeds that will subsequently impact the welfare of farmers.
Dr. Abijuru also noted that the establishment of the vet doctors’ union, the image of veterinary practitioners in Rwanda has improved and this has mainly been due to addressing earlier concerns of lack of skills in the profession.
Dr. Jean Claude Abijuru
