pigs

This study analyzed the development of the pig production sector at the scale of world regions, using the IMAGE-Pig model. The results show that due to the growing pork production total feed demand has increased by a factor of two. The sustainability of pig production systems for the coming decades will be based not only on the expected efficiency improvements at the level of animal breeds »

This paper begins a discussion on traceability in the pig value chain, with an initial focus on smallholder systems of Western Kenya. In the smallholder context, individual identification is proposed given that farmers may source pigs from different farms and will only keep a few at a time. Appropriate incentives would need to be explored to allow for widespread adoption of the intervention. »

This research aims at identifying major constraints and opportunities in the improved integration of pig and maize production, to improve smallholder income, while making the system more environmentally sustainable by investigating more diverse and profitable crop rotations, as well as improvements to soil fertility through cycling of nutrients and organic matter. The study results highlight difficulties faced by smallholders in these communes with regard to accessing inputs and services as well as more profitable markets for their pig products. »

This research brief 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. »

This study highlights the major practices and strategies deployed by pig farmers in response to feeding constraints in Uganda. While there is potential for the use of sweet potato and other root tubers as pig feed in the smallholder pig farming systems, their use is limited due to the lack of knowledge. »

Projects led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and partners are improving waste management at Wambizzi, the only pig abattoir in Uganda, as part of wider efforts to improve pig production and pork marketing in the country. A new biogas plant, funded by ‘More Pork For and By the Poor’, transforms waste from the pig slaughterhouse into methane gas. »