ILOILO CITY -- Artificial insemination for carabaos in Western Visayas received a boost after government agencies here tied up for a project to train village-based technicians on artificial insemination.

Officials of the regional offices of the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Carabao Center and the National Dairy Administration said village-based artificial insemination technicians would implement the project.

This project was conceived during the consultative meeting of provincial veterinarians, artificial insemination technicians and personnel of the three agencies conducted at West Visayas State University recently.

The project aims at expanding a sustainable system for wide-scale crossbreeding of female carabaos by promoting privatization of artificial insemination services.

"Artificial insemination is important for the development of the cattle industry in the region because it is focused on producing genetically elite animals and rapid multiplication of superior breeds," Agriculture regional director Jindra Linda L. Demeterio said.

But she clarified that "although the technology encourages the cross breeding of two superior breeds for milk and meat purposes, there is still a need to preserve the pure breed for future gene sources of the industry."

The Philippine Carabao Center office here based at West Visayas State University along with the Agriculture department will train, equip, and mobilize private village-based artificial insemination technicians for crossbreeding program of ruminants specifically buffalo.

Carabao center director Dr. Annabelle S. Sarabia said qualified personnel will be provided with liquid nitrogen tanks, gloves and other supplies by the concerned agencies. "The [carabao center] will strengthen the semen laboratories for efficient semen production, install efficient liquid nitrogen support and distribution system and harness the local government units' technicians to support wide-scale services for ruminants," she said.

The project focuses on training and mobilization of personnel, capability enhancement of trained technicians, improvement of liquid nitrogen distribution system, strengthening of semen and processing laboratory and improvement of the bull testing facilities.

Manuel Porque, regional artificial insemination coordinator, said possible participants will be recommended by the village heads to the municipal then to provincial coordinators. He will coordinate with the carabao center after identifying 15 qualified participants whom the project committee will recommend for training.

The selected participants will attend training on artificial insemination and pregnancy diagnosis in large ruminants for 30 days at any six training centers established all over the country. The six training centers are at the Central Luzon State University in Nueva Ecija; University of the Philippines Los Baños in Laguna; Ubay stock farm in Bohol; Central Mindanao University in Bukidnon; Cagayan State University in Cagayan; and the National Agribusiness Corp. in Quezon City.

The applicants must be at least a high school graduate, not more than 40 years old, and a permanent resident of the recommending municipality.

Likewise, the applicant should tend to at least 500 breedable female animals within a 10-kilometer radius in the area of coverage and must cover at least six barangays with a land or farm in the community, preferably into raising livestock like cattle, goats and swine.

Meanwhile, a task force has been formed to fast-track the implementation of artificial insemination on ruminants in Western Visayas.

The Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Carabao Center spearheaded the creation of the Regional Artificial Insemination Task Force for Ruminants.