UMPCU veterinarians and assistant animal husbandry officers are undergoing training on the use of ultrasound equipment in pregnancy diagnosis. The Union procures live animals for slaughter through its business arm Uganda Farmers Meat Company Ltd, however, it faces challenges of purchasing pregnant cows which is not profitable.
With support from Zoetis ALPHA, the technical staff will gain skills to easily detect pregnant cattle brought to the Union’s livestock resource centers (LRCs). The LRCs are located in Butalangu, Ntuusi, and Biharwe which are in Nakaseke, Sembabule, and Mbarara districts respectively.
The team is expected to learn among other things; the basics of reproductive system anatomy, the reproductive cycle, and the basics of ultrasonography, ultrasound equipment, and its applications. They will also have live on-farm demonstration with guided demonstrations of gynecological examinations, hands-on practice, and discussion of various cases.
The training is conducted in close collaboration with the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Department of Reproduction and Endocrinology at Makerere University Kampala.
