AI technicians are reporting an increase of almost 5% on AI services so far this year.

ICBF statistics show 383,928 services recorded on technicians’ handheld devices up to 12 May, compared to 366,019 for the same period last year.

While it is not certain yet whether the higher numbers are due to the growing dairy herd or a higher percentage of AI usage, individual AI companies report that their inseminations are ahead by as much as 10% on last year.

A spokesman for ICBF said it was very difficult to analyse any trends in the figures until the breeding season has finished. “Once the breeding season is over and the number of serves coming into the database has tapered off, then the data can be properly analysed in terms of number of cows served, number of repeats, number of herds using AI, percentage AI usage in those herds,” he said. “All I can say at this stage is that, on pure numbers, serves are up.”