CONSTRAINTS TO ADOPTION OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION TECHNIQUES IN LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN BAUCHI LGA

Constraints to adoption of artificial  insemination techniques by livestock owners in Bauchi LGA were investigated using some randomly selected respondents. Of the constraints considered, the most important among the village livestock owners was lack of artificial insemination facilities (84.3%) while the least was the free-range system of animal husbandry (18.9%). Conversely, some respondents considered the greatest constraint to be the lack of well-defined breeding objectives (66.7%). While personal dislike was the least (0.0%) considered constraint, others included unavailability of cryogens (66.7%), shortage of trained artificial insemination personnel (66.7%), lack of organisation to monitor the promotion and control of animal breeding (60.0%), the extensive system of animal husbandry (60.0%), etc. It can therefore be concluded that most livestock owners are prepared to use artificial insemination techniques in their breeding programmes if objectives are well defined and adequate artificial insemination facilities are made available and affordable. However, it is necessary that infrastructural facilities be developed in an integrated manner with essential manpower, financial input and built-in educational and training programmes, for bringing about the attitudinal change in the potential adopters of AI.