The livestock sector of Trashigang has conducted awareness and mobilization meeting to about 100 dairy farmers of Samkhar gewog on CAIT (Community Artificial Insemination Technician) on 15^th August 2018. The CAIT is the new method/approach of making the AI (Artificial Insemination) services readily available for the farmers through a trained community AIT (Artificial Insemination Technician).

Unlike in the past, the dairy farmers of Samkhar gewog needn’t have to reach their fertile cattle to the nearby breeding bulls or to the gewog center to avail the AI service. The trained CAIT personnel in the gewog will deliver the AI service in the 17 numbers of AI points identified within the locality.

According to the gewog livestock extension officer, the role of CAIT is very crucial in the community owing to the increasing number of farmers opting to take-up commercial dairy farming. Moreover, the AI services rendered by the CAIT will also help in reducing the occurrence of the reproductive diseases/infections and increase the number of improved cattle breed.

Currently, there are two numbers of trained CAIT personnel in the gewog exclusive of one permanent CAIT deployed for Pam Dairy Cooperative. The training for the CAIT was provided by the Regional Livestock Development Center (RLDC, Kanglung) in collaboration with Dzongkhag Livestock Sector with the funding from CARLEP.

For the sustainability of the CAIT services, a service charge of Nu. 600/- will be given as a compensation fee/wage for the CAIT by the service users.

The two CAIT is expected to benefit the dairy farmers of three dairy groups; Khapti-Bikhar, Bikhar-Domkhar and Yusum Gonor Detshen, who currently supplies about 53,364 liters of milk a month to the Kofuku International Limited (KIL, Chenary).

-Update by: Pema Mashok (Gewog Livestock Extension Officer, Samkhar)

-Compiled and edited by: Karma Wangmo.