Prime
Pig rearing is a profitable business
Michael J Ssali
What you need to know:
"Pig rearing is a good idea. Pork is also needed for manufacturing food products such as bacon, ham, pies, and sausages”
Smallholder farmers are encouraged to keep livestock for a number of reasons. Livestock keeping is a good source of manure for the crops.
The cows, goats, sheep, hens or rabbits are also good sources of animal protein in form of meat, eggs, and milk which provide good nutrition to the family.
They can be sold for cash as well and contribute to household income. Most smallholder farmers can only keep small animals – goats, pigs, rabbits—or a cow or two, mostly under zero-grazing because of the small size of their plots of land.
Pig rearing has gained more economic importance in the recent years because of the increased demand for pork nearly everywhere.
The national pig population increased from 4,109,000 in 2017 to 4,245,000, in 2018 and to 4,411,000 in 2019, according to Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
There are ‘pork joints’ and pork butchers in nearly every village and town. Pork is generally cheaper than beef, chicken, and goat meat. It takes a shorter time and much less energy –charcoal - to cook than beef.
Pork is also needed for manufacturing food products such as bacon, ham, pies, and sausages. Pig fat is said to be used in the manufacture of soap, and margarine.
Pig rearing is a good idea for people without large pieces of land and much capital investment. Pigs can be fed on nearly any food remains in the home or any nearby restaurant or school which actually minimizes food waste.
They grow very fast and it does not take too long for the farmer to get returns from the investment. If we produce more pigs we should expect the establishment of big industries for making pork products and more white-colour employment opportunities.
However the intending pig keeper must take into consideration the basic requirements for rearing pigs. What breed are you going for? Talk to your area agricultural extension officer for some guidance. There are a variety of breeds including, Large black, Large White, Saddleback, Welsh, and Berkshire. Seek advice from a local vet doctor about what commercial feeds to give to pregnant pigs.
Keep his or her phone number so that you are in easy contact just in case of any incident. A well-constructed pigsty is a must unless you are just a beginner and you can only afford a rope tied on one of the animal’s legs.
