Research collaborators from various private and government agencies engaged in the livestock industry participated in a Consultative Meeting and Knowledge Sharing on Optimized Cryopreservation Protocols on Swine, Goat, and Cattle Semen at the National Livestock Cryobank facility of the DA-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC) on October 14-16, 2024.
Led by the Cryobank Section and supported by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research, the activity included hands-on training on basic semen cryopreservation techniques, frozen semen handling, and semen processing for farm application.
“I hope this engagement will entice more private agencies to use the livestock cryobank facility as a laboratory for applied research,” Executive Director Liza Battad said. She also added that it is high time to share the success of buffalo semen cryopreservation and expand its success to other livestock animals.
Dr. Edwin Atabay, OIC deputy executive director of DA-PCC, hoped that this kind of activity would promote cryopreservation as a potential technology to achieve sustainability and resiliency against climate change and disease threats.
“This training will serve as a foundation for many agencies to uphold and implement programs on animal genetics conservation in support of the animal production systems and to conduct animal research in academic settings by preserving quality genetics through cryopreservation,” Dr. Lilian Villamor, head of the Cryobank Unit, said.
With a hopeful vision for the future, she is optimistic that young researchers will learn this technology to conserve genetics using cryopreservation.
The three-day event featured lectures, practical demonstrations, and evaluations on boar and cattle semen cryopreservation. Participants also shared research on optimized cryopreservation protocols, underscoring the importance of quality genetics preservation.
