Pig Industry Conversations

Knowing how to formulate pig feeds in a manner that balances cost efficiency and optimum growth using locally available ingredients seem to be one of the greatest challenges confronting smallholder farmers.

Dr. Ubak shared one way to formulate feed the ensures efficient conversion and optimum pig growth without breaking the bank.

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Highlights of the Maiden Edition of Pig Industry Conversations – Part 2

Pig Farm Clusters, Cooperatives and Pig Farmers Associations – Mr. Ugiri Ikechukwu (Focal Panelist)

Pig farm clusters, cooperatives and pig farmers associations in Nigeria was one of the topics extensively discussed at the maiden edition of the Pig Industry Conversations (PIC).

The Enugu State Pig Farmers Association’s coordinator, Mr. Ugiri Ikechukwu, who examined the modus operandi, merits and demerits of pig farm clusters and farmers cooperatives as well as the imperatives of pig farmers associations using his state’s experience as a case study advised pig farmers across the country to embrace cluster farming as a way forward for profitable pig farming in Nigeria especially for smallholder pig farmers, insisting that the advantages of farming in clusters outweighed both its disadvantages and the alternative approach.

He explained that though it was desirable and encouraged for government to earmark and provide supporting facilities for pig farm clusters, it was even faster and more realistic for individuals to intentionally collaborate and develop private pig farm clusters such as the one where his farm is located in Enugu State. In their case, individuals decided to concentrate their pig farms around a particular location (whether they inherited, purchased or leased a parcel of land in that area) and gradually a cluster was created.

With that kind of central arrangement, suppliers, service providers and buyers are attracted to the location. The farmers are able to access veterinary services, transport services, feed supplies, etc at shared costs, making it cheaper to run their farms compared to farmers whose farms are located in isolation. Also, it is easier for the pig farmers within the cluster to effectively organize themselves into cooperatives and self-help thrifts to support one another, collectively bargain and finance their businesses.

Through associations, they are able to regulate the conduct of farmers as well as prices of pig and pig products in the cluster to ensure mutual safety and gain. Moreover, farmers in the cluster benefit from peer-motivation, free and/or cheap information and knowledge-sharing opportunities.

Additionally, a cluster has the potential to create a viable source of constant pig supply capable of attracting private, cooperative and/or government investments in pork processing and value-addition facilities to that location, which could lead to improved support for farmers through backward integration.

Mr. Ugiri further highlighted that disease outbreak and spread, particularly African Swine Fever (ASF), as the major concern of pig farm clusters. However, he explained that with appropriate biosecurity measures, continuous enlightenment and regulations among the cluster operators, and growing pig health research, that can be curtailed.

On pig associations, the Enugu State Pig Farmers Association’s helmsman who is also the CEO, Gracious and Nelious Agros and Chairman, Goshen Pig farmers and Multipurpose Cooperative Association urged pig farmers to join pig farmers associations in their respective states. Where they do not exist, he encouraged pig farmers to form one for themselves, noting that an association provides a viable platform for self-support, collective bargain and advocacy that can influence favourable government policies the farmers. With viable associations, they can also reasonably control prices and even curtail scammers that may be within their areas masquerading as pig farmers to defraud unsuspecting victims.

Learning from the conversations, participants encouraged buoyant individuals and private entities to develop pig farm clusters for rental to smallholder farmers to support pig farming for production of alternative source of protein, livelihoods and local economic development in the areas.

… to be continued.

PIC is hosted by Pork-n-Pig Palace

Image credit: AI-generated.

Laying the Foundation: The State of the Nigeria Pig Industry and the Way Forward.

https://youtu.be/Jn4pVLycPlE

The State of the Nigerian Pig Industry and the Way Forward - Part 1 Pig industry stakeholders gathered at the maiden event of Pig Industry Conversations to lay the foundation: review the current state of the Nigerian pig indu...

Highlights of the Maiden Edition of Pig Industry Conversations - Part 1

The maiden edition of Pig Industry Conversations (PIC) with the theme "Laying The Foundation: The State of The Nigerian Pig Industry and the Way Forward" held yesterday, 10th August, 2024 at 7pm.

The virtual event moderated by Mr. Eugene Ukoyonoh of Pork n Pig Palace had in attendance as panelists Mr. Terhemba Mbavenengen, (a veterinarian, animal health consultant and CEO of Agro Pioneer Nig. Ltd., Ggboko, Benue State who was previously involved in the Benue Swine Project), Dr. Ubak Ekwere Ekpo (an animal nutrition professional & feeds/feed mill operations consultant; currently the consultant producer Niivet Feed at Vika Farm Mill, Uyo), Mr. Ugiri Ikechukwu (the coordinator of Enugu State Pig Farmers Association; Chairman, Goshen Pig Farmers and Multipurpose Cooperative and CEO of Gracious and Nelious Agros, Enugu State) and Dr. (Mrs.) Golden Richard Epko (a senior lecturer, University of Uyo, and Proprietor of Victory Farm, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State). Also, Dr. (Mrs.) Grace Oshun (a retired academic and self-styled pig farmer) turned up but was challenged by poor network connectivity. Some of the participants included Mrs. Oluwafunmilayo Falade, a pig farmer in the Lagos State's Oke Aro farm settlement, Oke Aro, Ogun State, who joined the conversations from the UK and Mr. Albert C. Kennedy of Winners Kennel and Farms Ltd.

Highlights of the event include a keynote remark by the host and moderator, Mr. Eugene Ukoyonoh (the Managing Partner of Pork n Pig Palace, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State), who introduced the PIC as a social project of Pork-n-Pig Palace aimed at building a multi-stakeholder interaction platform to further the holistic development and growth of the Nigerian pig industry, and gave a brief review of the current state of the industry, putting the current pig statistics in the country at an estimated 9.51 million pig heads (as reported by Statista, 2024).

African Swine Fever (ASF) incidents and rumours, enhanced biosecurity, pig health mishandling and misinformation, cluster farming, cooperative pig farming, the prevailing situation of pig nutrition, costs of feeds and alternative feeding; as well as expectations from the livestock department of Ministries of Agriculture (and the Department of Livestock Development underway) topped discussions that stretched from 7pm to 10.48pm.

Panelists reached a consensus among other things that:

1. There is an urgent need for stakeholders collaboration and deliberate effort to help farmers (especially smallholder pig farmers with limited access and ability to afford professional services) filter the quality of pig health (mis)information and prescriptions frequently poured out on the internet and social media spaces to ensure that only professional or professionally vetted advises for pig health handling/treatment are adopted and utilized to ensure pigs welfare, optimum productivity and profitability for the farmers and for the good of public health.

2. ASF remains the greatest nightmare of the piggery industry and most of the biosecurity practices by farmers, at lone locations or in clusters, need to be reexamined and improved to protect and safeguard pig farms and prevent the spread of ASF to other farms.

3. Honest, transparent and timely information sharing of ASF outbreak incidents should be done among farmers and other stakeholders to prevent epidemics.

.. to be continued.

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