South Cotabato, Philippines — The Provincial Government of South Cotabato, through the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV), continues to strengthen its artificial insemination (AI) services as part of efforts to improve the quality of cattle and carabao breeds across the province.
Dr. Kelvin Lucena, Veterinarian IV, said the program aims to upgrade the livestock population by providing farmers with access to quality breeding services.
“Handum naton nga ma-upgrade ang kalidad sang aton livestock population sa probinsya. Paagi sa paghatag sang access sa maayo kag de-kalidad nga breeding services, mas mabuligan naton ang aton mga mangunguma nga mag-uswag ang ila pangabuhian,” Lucena said.
According to Lucena, the office regularly receives requests from livestock raisers who want to avail of artificial insemination services. The OPV also conducts scheduled AI activities in different communities to make the service more accessible to farmers.
“Dako gid ang interes sang aton mga mangunguma sa artificial insemination, gani wala nag-untat ang pag-abot sang mga request sa OPV. Para indi na sila mabudlayan pa magkadto sa opisina, amon mismo gina-dungan ang serbisyo diretso sa ila mga barangay paagi sa aton mga regular nga AI schedules,” he said.
To ensure that the service is properly delivered, the Provincial Government has four trained artificial insemination technicians who are ready to respond to requests from livestock owners.
Lucena emphasized the importance of immediately reporting when a female animal shows signs that it is ready for breeding, as the timing of artificial insemination is critical to its success.
He encouraged livestock owners to coordinate with their respective municipal agriculture offices or provincial AI coordinators as soon as they observe that their animals are ready for breeding
He explained that the process should not be delayed because artificial insemination must be performed within the appropriate breeding period.
To support the increasing demand for the service, OPV maintains an available supply of semen at its AI Laboratory located at the Animal Production and Processing Center (APPC).
This allows trained technicians to respond promptly when farmers submit requests for artificial insemination.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ella Rose Frugalidad, Veterinarian II, also noted that the service is now being provided free of charge to South Cotabato livestock raisers.
“Dati may revenue, subong gi-suspend para maging libre para sa aton South Cotabatenos,” Frugalidad said.
She added that once a request or notification is received, the office works to provide a schedule within the day.
Through the continued implementation of artificial insemination services, the Provincial Government aims to help livestock raisers improve their breeding programs, increase the quality of their cattle and carabao, and contribute to the development of the province’s livestock industry.
OPVET continues to encourage livestock owners to coordinate with their municipal agriculture offices or Provincial AI Coordinators whenever their animals show signs that they are ready for artificial insemination.
