Some Constraints and Opportunities in the Privatization of Animal Breeding Services in Kenya

Abstract

The objective of the dairy development policy is to develop and promote an efficient and self-sustaining dairy industry with the aim of achieving the development goals of poverty alleviation, industrialization and employment creation especially in the rural areas, thereby enhancing the per capita income in the country. With respect to animal breeding which is central to the attainment of these objectives, short term policy objectives will be geared towards development of action programme to enhance effective delivery of artificial insemination (AI) services is one such measure, which was instituted in 1991. Available data between 1990 and 1998 show a decrease in the total number of insemination and disparity in the performance of the A.I services in different parts of the country since the advent of privatization. Total national inseminations decreased in total from 394,361 in 1990 to 104,661 in 1997, a decrease of 73.5% despite the bringing on board of the private sector. The contribution of the private in 1992. In 1992, private sector inseminations stood at 3.9% of the total national inseminations, increasing to 94.3% in 1997. With this in mind, the performance of animal breeding services is reviewed with a view of establishing the reasons for the decrease in total national inseminations and explores some opportunities for improvement. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 27 2004: pp. 45-48