Why sexed semen is ideal for emerging cattle farmers

In a recent study, Luther Magopa of the Agricultural Research Council, along with other researchers, looked at the possibility and benefits of using sexed semen in emerging or small-scale cattle production.

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There is a need to transfer technology to emerging and smallholder cattle farmers to minimise their challenges in production. Low reproduction rates have been a problem experienced in South Africa’s communal and emerging cattle herds.

Around the world, there is increased interest in gender-preselected calves, using sexed semen straws in dairy and beef cattle livestock farming when conducting artificial insemination (AI).

In a dairy operation, female animals have greater value than bulls, as bulls can obviously not provide milk. However, for beef cattle farmers, the demand for gender-preselected calves differs depending on the type of operation. Moreover, heifer calves born as co-twins to bull calves have a high rate of freemartins, which are genetically female but have many characteristics of a male. (Freemartins are also infertile.)

Unfortunately, due to emerging cattle farmers’ lack of knowledge of modern advanced reproductive protocols/management techniques available to improve production, they are currently unable to produce the desired gender of calves.

In an attempt to correct this, Dr Masindi Mphaphathi of the Agricultural Research Council’s Animal Production Institute collaborated with the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to conduct a project that targeted to benefit emerging dairy and beef cattle farmers in Gauteng. This was done as part of its germplasm conservation and reproductive biotechnologies programme.