First calf born under Artificial Insemination Programme

The Ministry of Agriculture’s Artificial Insemination Programme is beginning to pay dividends, as on Tuesday, April 12, a cow belonging to farmer Wayne Daniel gave birth to a 72-pound calf.

Daniel’s animal is the first, out of a batch of 30 artificially inseminated cattle, to give birth under the Artificial Insemination Programme, which was initiated in 2015 and is aimed at developing and expanding the livestock sector here.{{more}}

Speaking after the birth of the animal in Orange Hill, Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar congratulated Daniel for being the first farmer to receive a calf under the programme.

“He was approached by the Ministry of Agriculture, just like other cattle farmers and he took the initiative very serious and today we are witnessing the birth of the first artificially inseminated calf,” said Caesar.

“We are going to embark on a very robust programme throughout 2016, so that we can have as many cows go through the process of artificial insemination. We are in the process of looking for different breeds of cattle,” the Minister added.

Daniel, who has been farming in Guava, Orange Hill, for over 35 years, said he was “very excited and happy.”

“This is a very good initiative the Ministry has undertaken and I am very proud to be the first farmer whose cow was the first to give birth under this artificial insemination programme,” said the smiling Daniel.

The female calf was given the name, Ja-C, which symbolizes Jamaica’s and Cuba’s contributions to the artificial insemination initiative, which saw 100 straws of cattle semen donated by Jamaica.

Among the breeds of cattle expected to come out of the project are Jamaican Hope, Red Pol and Black Pol, all indigenous to Jamaica.

Minister Caesar is encouraging cattle farmers in St Vincent and the Grenadines to look at the opportunities and possibilities created by exporting cattle to Grenada and other countries.