Characterisation of pig production systems in Katosi and Kasawo Sub-Counties, Mukono District

Abstract

A study was conducted to characterize the pig production systems Kasawo and Katosi sub-counties, Mukono district. Data was collected through observations, photography and structured questionnaires administered to 292 pig rearing households, 118 (41%) from Katosi and 174 (59%) from Kasawo. Majority (60.3%) were male who owned less than an acre of land. In both sub-counties, most of the pig owners were the housewives i.e. Katosi (56.8%) and Kasawo (47.1%), majority of whom (60.2%) reared exotic pigs. More than half borrowed (58.3%) boars from neighbors for breeding. The rest either had their own boar (29.2%), or borrowed the village boar (8.6%). The least proportion (3.9%) used Artificial insemination (A.I). Only 8.4% kept records on pig production on their farms. Most of them (63.0%) practiced intensive production system while the rest carried out tethering (23.3%), semi-intensive system (11.8%) or left their pigs to freely roam (1.9%) around the village. More than half (56.7%) reared other animals in addition to pigs but the rest (43.3%) reared exclusively pigs. In terms of feeding, feed-troughs were the most used (57.3%) for feed provision followed by non-cemented floors (28.3%) and then cemented floors (14.4%). Majority (73.0%) isolated the adult pigs from the piglets during feeding while the rest (27.0%) allowed them to feed together. When it came to care given to sows after delivery most (42.8%) gave homemade feeds, others gave commercial feed (8.5%), kitchen leftover (20.3%), a combination of commercial feed and homemade feed (25.0%) and few (3.4%) left the sows to roam. More than half of pig farmers in Katosi (60.2%) fetched water for their pigs from wells, but in Kasawo, majority (81%) gave borehole water. Majority (50.3%) weaned their piglets at an age greater than one month and the least (5.1%) weaned at 1 week. Only 33.5% had pig shelters without leaking roofs and majority (56.5%) cleaned their pig houses at least after every two days though 19.5% never cleaned at all. Majority (73.5%) knew about African Swine Fever (ASF), though most of them (69.8%) had never reported any outbreak in their farms. This study reveals that pig farming in Kasawo and Katosi is mainly intensive. However, pigs are exposed to unclean water and feeds, leaking shelters and poor nutrition. In order to ensure the sustainable growth of the local pig industry in Mukono district, improved housing, feeding and regular training of farmers, and adoption of better breeding techniques such as A.I should be implemented. This study can be a benchmark for designing interventions to improve on the status, sustainability and productivity of the pig production systems, as well as minimizing the possibility of occurrence of ASF in the farms.