Assessing the production and market characteristics of pig farmers in Gulu city as disaggregated by gender

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the production and market characteristics of pig farmers in Gulu city as disaggregate by gender. The specific objectives of the study included; to evaluate the social, demographic and economic characteristics of pig farmers in Gulu city, to assess production characteristics of pig farmers in Gulu city and to establish the marketing characteristics of the pig enterprises in Gulu city. A total of 70 respondents were located in 5 different wards in which 2 cells were selected from each. The research utilized the random sampling from the long list of farmers that were given by the district and later a bit of snow balling was used on the farmers that were randomly selected from the list. The data collected using pretested questionnaire was analyzed using SPSS, (version 16 for windows) and excel. The researcher had the main aim of getting 50% males and 50% females of which it was nearly attained with 51% males and the remaining percentage being females with 63% in the age of 36-60, 29% (20/44) being females. This then brought a slide difference in the percentages of males and females in all the variables that were studied. Majority (50%) of the respondents were Catholics with remaining percentage being Protestants and Born-Again. Only 5.7 %( 4/13) of the female farmers attained training from the different bodies. Majority (59%) of the farmers were in groups (savings groups) and in this, men dominated with 34 %( 24/41). The findings on education level shows that majority18.6 (13/17) of the women attained primary education and the men were dominating in O, A Diploma and bachelors’ level. All in all, most of the farmers attained at least primary education. Study findings on production characteristics of the respondents reveal that the most (93%) common sources of famer’s capital was personal savings with almost equal percentages for both males and females in the percentages of 46% and 47% respectively. The farmers re still operating on a small scale and are keeping exotic breeds with large white being the most common breeds. A few (22.9%) of the farmers were rearing local breeds. Most of the farmers kept their animals indoors. Family labour was registered as the most (89%) common source of labour used. Majority of the farmers attained feeds through both buying and growing with no big disparities between males and females. The market of pigs and its products in Gulu city were said to be high due to the many pork joints that are still mushrooming. The products offered were adult pigs, slaughtered ones and piglets. The biggest percentage (80%) of the farmers marketed both the piglets and the adult pigs that are sometimes slaughtered or sold as a whole.