Iloilo City -- Want to make your cattle pregnant? Send a text message to your agricultural technologist.

The Department of Agriculture regional office in Western Visayas is using text messaging, to implement its artificial insemination program for cattle.

"They just inform me through text whenever they want their farm animals inseminated," said Milagros Calaguio, an agricultural technologist who spearheads the livestock upgrading program.

She said there has been an increasing number of cattle head that have produced high-quality hybrid offspring through artificial insemination.

Profetizo Cambronero, chairman of Barangay Anonang Leon town, said the upgraded species have better qualities than the native cattle.

"The imported cows produce more milk and are bigger than the native ones," he said. Mr. Cambronero is also the president of a farmers' cooperative that is a beneficiary of the project.

Leon Vice-Mayor Rolito C. Cajilig said the town is one of the top producers of livestock in the province. He added that the cattle industry is free from any animal disease and has boosted the economic status of the farmers.

Inocencio L. Parian, Iloilo provincial agriculturist, said the farmers are being encouraged to engage in diversified farming.

"They should not just focus on rice and vegetables but venture in cattle-raising, which requires less investment," he said.

Among those who vouched for the benefits of the program was farmer Amalia Calaor. She said she ignored the program initially, but later submitted her animals to artificial insemination.

"It has been a great help to us especially since we don't need to have capital to participate in the program," she said. -- JVF