Around the world, the use of Artificial Insemination in pigs has increased considerably due to the advantages they offer in the short, medium and long term such as: advance in genetic improvement, avoid direct contact of male constantly, evaluate sperm quality and thus ensure the success of fertilization, etc.
In 2009, Rwanda through Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board adopted Pig Artificial Insemination with imported pig semen by private farm at CPPA Kisaro (Centre de Perfectionnement et de Promotion Agricole de Kisaro).
Since the adoption of AI in pigs, The Government invested in many efforts to optimize the control of reproductive performance of the pigs. Many sows have been inseminated, many AI piglets have been weaned and the superior germplasm have been disseminated to many farmers.
Eline Bayizime is a pig keeper that lives in Gasabo District, Rusororo Sector in the Capital City of Kigali. She’s been using Pig AI technology for over seven months.
She says that piglets that born from semen insemination show being strong and good health comparing the one that born from a boar.
“The piglets that born from semen insemination look good health-wise and strong; they grow also fasert. I applaud this technology because before I used AI my sows used to get sick because of exchanging boars with my neighbors but now, I am getting beautiful and healthy piglets simultaneously, my pigsty is diseases free.” -said Eline.
Serugendo Emmanuel owns a pig farm in Rwamagana District, Muyumbu Sector in Eastern Province. He says that using Semen insemination enables him to know when his pigs will farrow. He also stresses that inseminating pigs also enables a farmer to control to communicated diseases between boars and sows.
“Using a boars used to sicken my pigs, I came to realize that those sickness sometimes were caused by borrowing boars. But Since I started using Pig AI technology, my sows have a good health, they farrow many, good and health piglets” -said Serugendo
He further encouraged his fellow pig farmers to adopt pig artificial insemination because it is the only way to go for a pig keeper who eyes business opportunity in pig farming.
Artificial insemination by the semen of the excellent boars accelerates the genetic progress of pig breeding, increase the coverage of excellent genes in the herd, increase the growth rate of the herd, improve the uniformity of the pigs, and improve the quality of the pork.
By Modeste NKURIKIYIMANA
