Dear DA

In central America I witnessed very productive pig production on mulberry leaves. The branches root very well and the living fence can keep the pigs enclosed. The pigs can feed on the living trimmings and any waste from the family or community. If pigs are kept with bedding the waste can be used for vermiculture and compost which could be used for production of staple root crops.

Dear DA

Once you are able to have confidence in your pig production system. Have a field day to invite your friends and neighbors. Then start a pig producer community and swap stories. Have a contest for the best documented results.

This works share the successes and work together on the challenges.

Dear DA

small-scale intensive

The main characteristics of an intensive pig keeping system is that

pigs are kept in complete confinement. Buildings are provided to keep

fatteners, boars, sows, and sows with their litters separate. In this

system housing amounts to much more than providing a simple

shelter. Larger numbers of pigs may be kept and the pigs must be well

managed because commercial commitments have been made. Know-

how is required to make the right decisions at the right time. The

following chapters in this book provide a lot of this know-how,

because they concentrate on the management of small-scale intensive

pig keeping.

Dear DA,

When promoting a system however small it is, you have to establish acceptability of that system by recipients (farmers). Is the system cost-effective and requires low labour demand? For Example, there is a good small-scale system of rearing pigs we are promoting in Uganda where the floor is made up of litter (saw dust, wood shavings, coffee husks etc.) and we prepare indigenous microorganism liquid (IMO) to spread on the litter in order to reduce smell. Not only IMO reduces smell tremendously BUT also decomposes the pig faeces, hence maintaining hygiene. The farmers have adopted this system because they: (1) do not have to clean the pen every day (labour demand reduced), (2) not quarrel with neighbor because of smell, (3) can keep pigs in peri-urban setting. Kindly find the attachment for the publication regarding IMO house; preparation; use. Elly   

Article Ndyomugyenyi, E. K. and Kyasimire J. (2015). Pig production ...