Zipline, an aerial delivery service provider, has expanded its operations with the introduction of animal health in partnership with Piper Pretty – a piggery located in Atwima Nwabiagya North of the Ashanti Region.
The partnership will see Zipline deliver swine semen from their outlets to farmers across the country to help boost animal productivity.
Piper Pretty ovet the past years has brought into the country pigs from France which are of superior genetics. These pigs respond to the kind of feed given to them, ensuring their proper growth for production.
After the introduction of artificial insemination by Piper Pretty, demand for the swine semen shot up so high that delivering it to farms on time and at the right temperature became a major challenge for both Piper Pretty and the pig farmers.
Normally, a very healthy semen should be between 16 and 19 degrees Celsius to be able to fertilise a sow that has been in heat for at most 48 hours – whereby they can have good conception. Anything less could jeopardise the conception process.
In an attempt to overcome this situation, management of Piper Pretty has entered into a partnership with Zipline to ensure quality semen from their piggery gets to their clients across the country on time, since maximum delivery time using drones will be at most an hour.
Speaking to a group of journalists at the Zipline facility at Mampong in Ashanti Region, Chief Executive Officer-Piper Pretty farms, Isaac Owusu Asubonteng, indicated that the partnership will see swine semen deliveries to farms increase by about 600 each week.
“Normally we do a hundred deliveries a week, and we hope to see a jump of 600 percent with Zipline. Before the coming of Zipline, our weekly delivery was 50 doses of semen – and I think we can reach all our catchment areas and produce about 700 to 1000 doses a week with this partnership. The challenge has been with timelines – because when the animals come on heat, within 48 hours they must be inseminated. And sometimes when the farmers call in, we need to rush and send the semen. It becomes very difficult for us because we might miss their uterus time; but with this partnership, we are assured that within at most one hour the semen will be delivered to farmers,” he said.
Zipline
Fulfilment Operations Manager-Zipline Mampong, Maame Esi Amoah expressing excitement at the partnership; and said even though the partnership with Piper Pretty is for pigs, there is room for other animal health areas.
Zipline currently delivers medical supplies to about 2,800 health facilities across the country, especially in remote areas.
