40 Senepol Cattle Available To Improve Our Beef

Close to 40 Senepol (specific breed of cattle) are available in the country to boost the quality of meat production.

This was revealed by the Minister for Agriculture, Mahendra Reddy to 16 beef cattle farmers in Labasa, yesterday. Senepol cattle have a good physical conformation which produces a good meat carcass.

Mr Reddy said they wanted to provide this breed of cattle to farmers, but this was subject to how well farmers managed their beef cattle and their health.

Pasture management, cattle management, cattle count and productivity, health and disease management were some of the determining factors that would enable farmers to access either the embryo or through artificial insemination of Senepol breeds. Prior to giving Senepol breeders to farmers, farmers had to abide and show a high level of herd management.

Mr Reddy said artificial insemination of Senepol breeds had begun in Viti Levu and they were looking at the prospect of starting this in Vanua Levu as well.

“We want farmers to be ready and we don’t want to waste because we have limited embryo stock,” he said.

Mr Reddy confirmed that another lot of Senepol embryos had arrived in the country and had a 60 per cent success rate.