Prime semen offered to state

Namibia has been given a landmark opportunity to breed its cows with some of southern Africa's top bulls, through a unique project which sees the semen of award-winning animals being donated to the agriculture ministry. What makes this project so unique is that the genetic material of these bulls has been catalogued along with their strengths and weaknesses, which will allow Namibian farmers to carefully choose which of their animals they want to inseminate.Bonsmara stud breeder, Dr Joggie Briedenhann, donated 4 000 bull semen straws to the agricultural ministry to prevent inbreeding and improve the national herd. The semen straws are from 31 of Briedenhann's top Bonsmara bulls and the genetic material is valued at more than N$1.2 million. Briedenhann, whose farm Hartbeestloop is located in the area of Stampriet, said over many years of dedicated stud breeding and performance testing, they have built up a large inventory of semen from the top performing Bonsmara bulls in Namibia and South Africa. According to him the prices of these bulls range between N$ 100 000 and N$800 000. They include a number of animals that have had the biggest influence on the Bonsmara breed worldwide. “So, it is not just semen but rather tested and proven excellent genetic breeding material,” said Briedenhann. According to him, as part of the semen inventory, they documented the strong and weak traits of each bull and the production systems recommended for each one.This means it has been determined whether the genetic material is good for weaner production, slaughter ox production or for the breeding and selling of replacement heifers. “Furthermore, we indicated if the bull could be used as a calving ease bull to open heifers or if it should only be used on proven cows. If these recommendations are followed, success with the offspring is guaranteed.”Briedenhann added that inbreeding has become a huge problem, especially among emerging farmers and said this can impact them financially. “I work extensively amongst all the different levels of farmers in Namibia - from the communal farmer all the way to the top stud breeders. I have noticed two points of importance - firstly the enthusiasm to breed and farm successfully is exactly the same, although the means to do so may differ, and secondly, the huge negative effects of constant inbreeding and the use of poor genetic material,” said Briedenhann. He said using bulls that are not performance tested or where the animal is used to breed with its relatives has a direct impact on the economically important traits like weaning weight, post wean growth, fertility and many others.“It is the cause of a huge drop in income for the farmer.”He added they are busy with a genomics project, which will with 90% accuracy predict how productive an animal will be when grown. According to Briedenhann, genes can predict whether the animal will grow or not and if it will produce milk, and therefore the farmer can decide whether to keep the animal or cull it. According to him Hartebeestloop will be the only farm in southern Africa that produces stud bulls that are genotyped. Agriculture permanent secretary Percy Misika described the donation as a first for Namibia. He added it is a turnaround for a farmer to contribute to the efforts of government and not the other way around. “This is unprecedented.”Misika said Namibia, which is predominantly a livestock producing country, is one of a few African nations that still has a wide range of livestock breeds and ecotypes, which has given rise to a large genetic pool. According to him this genetic pool can be attributed to concerted efforts by farmers, who continue to breed and multiply livestock for sustained livelihood. “Though relatively a new breed, the Bonsmara is one of the locally adapted breeds and is fast becoming popular among cattle farmers in Namibia. The breed can easily adapt to both communal and commercial farming systems, mainly due to its low maintenance and high fertility, to mention but a few.” Misika stressed the ministry will make sure that the semen is put to good use, to ensure quality offspring that will contribute to the sustainable development of the meat industry, by improving the quality of the national herd.The semen has to be administered through an artificial insemination process, which is a delicate and expensive process. Skilful and qualified inseminators are essential for better results. Given this scenario, the ministry will do everything to ensure this good quality semen is not wasted, Misika said.ELLANIE SMIT

Prime semen offered to state

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-25

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Prime semen offered to state

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-25

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