NAGRC Graduates 50 AI Technicians to Strengthen Climate-Smart Dairy Farming

What the report says

The National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) has graduated 50 specialised artificial insemination technicians after a 20-day training programme under the Green Dairy Investment Programme (GDI), according to Watchdog Uganda. The pass-out ceremony was held on September 11, 2026, at Ruhengyere Government Ranch in Kikatsi Sub-county, Kiruhura District.

The course combined classroom instruction with daily hands-on work using live animals. Trainees were taught heat detection, semen handling, insemination procedures, breeding records and animal welfare. The cohort was drawn mainly from Western and Central Uganda and included three women and 47 men.

Watchdog Uganda reported that the new technicians are expected to improve access to quality breeding services for dairy farmers, helping raise milk productivity, strengthen animal genetics and support climate-resilient livestock production. The programme is part of a wider effort under GDI, which is implemented by Heifer International Uganda in partnership with aBi Development Ltd and aims to reach about 37,000 smallholder farmers with climate-smart interventions.

Officials at the ceremony urged the graduates to work ethically and professionally, while trainers highlighted the importance of hygiene, timing and proper semen handling for conception success. More broadly, NAGRC&DB, which operates under Uganda’s agriculture ministry, is expanding the number of skilled AI providers as part of efforts to modernise the country’s dairy sector and support smallholder livelihoods.