Pigs bring instant cash

Pork has become arguably the most ventured-in business in major towns of Uganda raising the rate at which selling of piggery products especially pork is fascinating. Stephen Kasaru, a pork joint owner in Kisaasi says the reason the business is growing is because it has been an untapped field. However, he says many have today discovered how much the business is lucrative. “Pork selling has been a backdoor thing, but lately people have discovered it can raise you to formidable glory. It is a very profitable business. I have witnessed this myself,” says Kasaru.

Changing trends in prices
Dr Emma Naluyima of Entebbe, a specialist in piggery attributes the pork boom to demand and sensitisation. A kilogramme of beef is about Shs9,000 and yet pork goes for Shs12,000. This differs greatly from the market prices of pork about five years ago. According to Dr Naluyima, raising a pig could cost one about Shs450, 000 to get it at 90 to 120 kilogrammes by slaughter time. This means after spending that much, at the current price, one would be able to bag Shs630, 000 per pig.

How to feed a pig for pork
Feeds take up to 80 per cent of pig production costs and a bag of feeds costs about Shs80,000. Dr Naluyima says sweet potato vines are a very nutritious pig feed if well prepared and preserved. “Feeds like potato vines, maize brand, mukene (silver fish) among other foods will grow your pig greatly,” she says.

Why you should invest in pigs
Do you know that pigs have one of the highest rates of reproduction in animals? Pigs can give birth up to 15 piglets at once and that is just one of the things that make pig farming attractive to investors. Farmers are often faced with the challenges of choosing the best animals to rear because there are just so many to choose from-goats, pigs, poultry, fish etc. If you are faced with such a challenge, some of the reasons why you should consider choosing pig farming over others include-:
•Pigs have low mortality rate compared to other animals. They are more rugged and easier to raise. They can also survive days without food or water.
•Pigs are also cheaper to raise compared to fish or poultry because they can eat most foods that humans eat and even if you have to buy feed for them, their feeds are cheaper than those of other animals.
•The immune system of pigs is higher than other animals. As long as you give them the needed vaccines regularly, they would not fall sick.

Housing
The shelter that you would build for your pigs is known as a pig pen. This would keep your pigs safe from the elements of weather and other diseases or contamination. When constructing your pig pen, ensure that you build a proper drainage for the pigs where all the wastes can pass through. You should also make sure the drainage is kept clean at all times to avoid insects, pests, diseases and contamination. Pigs love playing in water, so you should consider building a water pool in your pig pen for them to play in and stay healthy. The water in the pool should be changed regularly and kept clean at all times. You can also allow the pigs to come out of the pen and play outdoors sometimes but be sure to guide them closely, so that they do not wander off.

Piglets
To start your piggery, you would need healthy piglets which you can get from other pig farmers around you. Ensure that the piglets you buy are healthy and have been well taken care of. You should also ask for their vaccination history records to be sure that they have taken their vaccinations up to date. You would need both male and female pigs.

Professional assistance
To ensure that your pigs receive the best healthcare, you should engage the services of a veterinary doctor who would act as a consultant for your piggery.

Tips for best piggery
Location
The first thing you need to take care of is finding a suitable location for breeding your pigs. Please, do not try to do this at home. Why? The reason is because pigs can be very smelly and you will be sure to receive a lot of complaints and protests from your neighbours because of the smell and noise your piggery would generate. So instead of causing great discomfort to others, look for a farmland for your piggery. Just one plot of land would be enough for a small scale piggery but if you are opting for a large scale pig farming business, make sure you purchase land that is large enough to allow for spacing, grazing and feeding.

Additional reporting Utibeetin.com