Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute

Animal Biodiversity Institute

Ex-situ Conservation of Indigenous Cattle Breeds (Semen Collection and

Cryopreservation)

1. Background and Justification

Ethiopia is the home of diversified cattle breeds distributed in all agro-ecologies and production
system, known for adapting variable environmental conditions and better diseases tolerance.
There are 28 indigenous breeds of cattle that have been recognized to exist in Ethiopia. These
breeds are under threats due to crossbreeding, inbreeding, lack of breeding policies and
constraints like feed shortage and outbreak of diseases, which limit cattle production in the
country. Conservation of cattle genetic diversity is essential to long-term survival of any breed,
particularly in light of changing environmental conditions, and is essential for management of
threatened cattle breeds for sustainable use.

In Ethiopia, ex-situ conservation measures of indigenous cattle breeds are conducted by

establishing population ranches. The other alternative to ex-situ conservation is in-vitro
conservation, where semen is collected from indigenous breeds for long-term storage and
distribution. Currently, semen collection and preservation is conducted by the single entity
“National Animal Genetic resource Improvement Institute (NAGII). Semen is being collected
from some of Ethiopian cattle breeds. Semen collection and assisted reproductive technologies
highly broaden the scope for the cattle breed conservation and improvement program
implementation.

Today, a large number of indigenous cattle breeds in the developing world are at risk of
becoming extinct; likewise, at the moment breeds like Sheko cattle are threatened as a result of
interbreeding; others like Fogera, Begayit, Ogaden, Borena and so on cattle breeds are also
facing various degrees of threat. Therefore, Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute has been conducting
semen collection activities in collaboration with NAGII to support and extend the conservation
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efforts. Breeds being under threats, and having higher economic value received priorities for
semen collection. Therefore, in the current expeditions bulls from the Sheko and Boran breed
populations will selected and imported to NAGII, where semen collection and preservation, and
distribution activities have been conducted.

2. Objectives

 In-vitro conservation of sheko and Ethiopian boran cattle breeds through semen
collection, evaluation and cryopreservation
 Application of assisted reproductive technologies to maximizing conservation efforts of
the indigenous cattle breeds

3. Areas of the Field Work

 The expedition for selection and purchasing of bulls intended for semen collection will be
held to Yabelo and Sheko districts. Yabelo is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia, and part of the Borena Zone; while Sheko is one of the woredas in the
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia, and located in the
Bench Maji Zone.

4. Planned Activities

 Identification of districts and sub-districts owing available pure boran and sheko cattle
breeds for bull selection
 Selection of young bulls upon physical and behavioral qualities for training and serving
semen collection
 Assessment of reproductive competence of the selected bulls
 Examination of health status of selected bulls
 Bull purchasing and importation to National Animal Genetic resource Improvement
Institute, selected for serving semen collection

5. Participants
 Animal breeder
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  Veterinarian
 Collaborative expert from NAGII
 Purchaser

6. Budget Requirement

1. Table 1: The cost requirement for bull purchasing and their transportation to NAGII

No. Items Quantity Total Estimated price Total Cost

number (ETB) (ETB)
1 Bull purchasing 4 per breed 4*2 = 8 8,000/Bull (Sheko); (4*8,000) +
(Sheko and Boran) Bulls 3,000/Bull (Boran) (4*3,000) =

44,000
2 Transportation cost 1 per breed 1*2 = 2 15,000/Site 2*15,000 =
sites 30,000
Total 74,000

2. The Per-diem of experts and daily laborers, and fuel during the field schedule

 Experts perdiem = (1*400*18 days) + (1*600*18 days) + (2*405*18 days) = 32,580

 Collaborative experts perdiem = (1*477*18 days) + (4*402*4 days) = 15,018
 Daily laborers = 2850
 Fuel and lubricants = 12,000
 Total = 62,448
 Contingency (5%) = 3,122.40
 Grand total = 65,570.40