The Contribution of Reproductive Technologies to Dairy Cattle Genetic Improvement in the Amhara Region: Successes and Challenges in Research and Development Efforts

In the Amhara region, cattle genetic improvement has been conducted by the Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI) and the Amhara Livestock and Fishery Resources Development Office (LFRDO). The aim of the article was to evaluate the contribution of reproductive technologies to dairy cattle genetic improvement in the research and development sectors of the Amhara region. A total of 13 years of data from the LFRDO was used to analyze the successes of reproductive technologies in the livestock extension sector. Under the research system, the delivery rate (in percentage) through Estrus/Oestrus Synchronization and Mass Artificial Insemination (OSMAI) was reported to range from 4.93% at Andassa Livestock Research Center (ALRC) to 60.1% at Debre Birhan Agricultural Research Center (DBARC). The data from LFRDO indicate a calving rate (in percentage) of 44.46 and 44.84 through insemination done with conventional semen and bull service, respectively. In the region, sexed semen for females was used to increase the number of crossbred females, and the work done over one year revealed an overall conception rate (in percentage) of 42.09%, ranging from 19.1% to 79%, and the overall sex efficiency for female calves was 94.8%. The time of insemination after the onset of heat, body condition, breed, parity, and technical efficiency of the artificial insemination technicians were reported as factors for the success of OSMAI. The OSMAI, which targets increasing milk yield, would be better integrated with different actors in the dairy value chain, and accountable collaboration between the various actors participating in the technology should be realized.