Irish-led breeding project aims to improve East African herd

Agri authorities in Eritrea are to develop a herd better suited to their available feed sources thanks to a new Irish-supported breeding programme.

Dairy and beef semen supplier Dove Genetics, Teagasc, and Irish NGO Vita are supporting a cattle improvement programme, sponsoring the supply of AI straws to the National AI Centre in Eritrea.

Some 2,000 AI straws from bulls on Dovea Genetics international catalogue were sent to the East African state last year and these are now being used as part of a crossbreeding programme with plans to send out more AI straws.