Abstract:
Across sectional survey was carried out to unearth the constraints to swine production and marketing with emphasis on socio-Economic, management and general constraints to marketing of pigs and improvement strategies for pig production and marketing. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected using structured questionnaires and interview guide, Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 1.6 was employed for the data analysis. The results were presented in form of tables, pie charts, and graphs. The study found out that; insufficient capital (17%), expensive feeds 84%), socioeconomic constraints such religious criticism from the Muslim and neighbours (100%) were hated as major socio economic constraints while lack of pig housing facility (64%) ; inaccessibility to extension services (66%) , disease and parasite (17%}, tearing of less productive local breeds (41%) were the major management constraints cited, Poor infrastructure (33%), irregularities.in pig price (64%), low demand for the mature pigs of a big; size (1%) religion(98%), competition from other livestock .sectors like ·cattle (1%) were cited as problems affecting marketing of pigs, Improvement strategies identified. included government provision of subsidies on animal feeds (8O%), provision of feeds processing plants (14%), putting in place a regulation to reduce all killing of pigs by people-whose culture or religion taboo. Pigs (1%.), and bringing veterinary service close to the people (36%). There was request for timely availing of movement permits for pigs to ease marketing (100%) and pig farmers forming farmers’ association to easily access government aid and also market pigs as a group (6%) use of social med in to provide market information (71 %), among other strategies.
The study concluded that insufficient capital, expensive feeds, culture and religions that taboo pigs were the major socio-economic constraints to swine production, while lack of housing facilities, inaccessibility to extension services, disease and parasites were the major management constraints that restricted swine production, It was therefore recommended that the district production department should develop an appropriate package that can be used by extension staff to sensitise the local community about modern farming practice like up grading of the pig breeds and also convince farmers that piggery is highly productive enterprise that can help to alleviate poverty. Government should also come up with policies that aim at availing credit service to farmers-so that they can adopt commercial farming.
