Enhancing the Uganda pig value chain through capacity building and multi-stakeholder platforms
This research brief (PDF) by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) highlights specific action research and capacity development interventions to address identified challenges and generate evidence for wider applicability along the pig value chain in Uganda. The smallholder pig value chain in Uganda was identified by the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish as a sector where research investment was most likely to make a major difference to the livelihoods of poor people. Approximately 90% of all pork is supplied by smallholder pig farmers as pig keeping offers an attractive alternative to ruminants. Pig farming comes with smaller investment costs, does not compete for pasture land and can be used for transforming kitchen waste into food. Moreover, the short reproductive cycle of pigs allows for a quick financial turnover. Despite this, the pig sector in Uganda is highly marginalized and has not been given due priority in the country’s national agricultural sector policy framework. Some of the interventions that were pilot-tested include capacity development support to farmers on improved husbandry and biosecurity practices for the control of African Swine fever (ASF); capacity development support to butchers on appropriate pig slaughter and pork handling practices in the control of ASF; and the establishment of pig multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) for information sharing, improved stakeholder interaction and increased visibility of the pig sector. Subsequently, the evaluation assessed changes in butcher and farmer knowledge, attitudes and practices as a result of the targeted interventions. The evaluation also reviewed performance of the MSPs in the value chain.