Feeding and breeding systems in the
Uganda smallholder pigs value chain
Natalie Carter and Danilo Pezo
“Workshop: In-depth smallholder pig value chain assessment and preliminary
identification of best-bet interventions, Kampala, 9-11 April 2013”

 Production Systems
 Water
 Available Feeds
 Forages
 Constraints
 Solutions
 Summary
 Trends in breed-
types
 Sources of pigs
 Mating management
 Constraints
 Summary
Feeding Breeding

Extensive: permanent scavenging
Semi-intensive: sometimes scavenge
Intensive: total confinement

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90 TAP
WELLS
BOREHOLE
RAINWATER
PONDS
SPRINGS
WASTEWATER
HUMANURINE
TAP
WELLS
BOREHOLE
RAINWATER
PONDS
SPRINGS
WASTEWATER
HUMANURINE
WET SEASON DRY SEASON
RU UU RR

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
RU UU RR

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
RU UU RR

0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
RU
commercial crop residues
forage home mixed
kitchen leftovers

0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
UU
commercial crop residues forage
home mixed kitchen leftovers

0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
RR
commercial crop residues forage
home mixed kitchen leftovers

Cassava leaves and yam leaves – all three
Amaranthus – Rural-Urban
Sweet potato vines – Urban-Urban & Rural-Rural
Cassava leaves:
 Very palatable
 Medicinal
 Give satisfaction to pigs
 Fast growth
 Human and animal feed

Amaranthus:
 Rich in vitamins
 Palatable
Sweet potato vines:
 Very palatable
 Give satisfaction to pigs
 Medicinal
 Boost growth and milk and reduces fat
 Accessible

Rural-Rural and Rural - Urban
 Expensive, poor quality commercial
 Lack knowledge - home mixing
 Drought – forages scarce
 Harmful objects – kitchen leftovers
Urban-Urban
 Expensive commercial
 Drought – forages scarce
 Lack knowledge – home mixing
 Drought – forages scarce

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
 Grow and store enough
 Borrow money
 Use planted forages
 Home mixed rations
 Training – quality and mixing
 Training – feed conservation
 Training- weather and climate factors
 Training – proper treatment of kitchen waste
 Clean, check, sort, boil waste

 3 systems
 Water sources
 Twice per day
 Feed availability
 Feed types
 Forages and benefits
 Constraints
 Solutions

Smallholder Pig Value Chain R4D
Projects in Uganda
THE BREEDING COMPONENT IN SMALLHOLDER
PIG FARMS OF KAMULI, MASAKA AND MUKONO

Local Improved
Cross-bred

Kamuli Masaka

Mukono

%

Characteristics Tally Local
Cross-
bred
Exotic
Many teats(> 12) 41 2.8 1.8 1.3
Mothering ability 2 3.5 1.5 1.5
Large litter size 3 3.3 2 1
Horizontally long 64 3.2 1.9 1.3
Floppy ears 57 3.1 1.73 1.4
Fast growth 20 3.6 1.8 1.3
Color/skin appearance 16 1.7 1.5 1.6
Note: Scores from 1 to 5, being 1 = very good and 5 = very poor

VC domain Reason %
U – U
To avoid inbreeding 27.6
Age of the gilts 24.1
Weight of the boar 10.3
R – U
Age of the gilts 27.3
To avoid inbreeding 22.7
Weight of the boar 22.7
R – R
To avoid inbreeding 16.7
Age of the gilts 23.8
Usea a good quality boar 16.7

VC domain Problems %
U – U
Feeds are expensive 14.3
Susceptibility to diseases 14.3
Sows eat own piglets 14.3
R – U
Agalactia (lack of milk) 21.9
Sows eating own piglets 12.5
Feeds are expensive 9.4
R – R
Agalactia (lack of milk) 17.9
Piglet mortality 13.4
Sows eat own piglets 10.4

 The use of crossbred and exotic animals has
increased in the last 10 years, but locals are
still important in the rural settings.
 Exotic breeds are the most preferred in U-U.
whereas in the R-U and R-R exotic and
crossbreds are equally preferred
 The attributes most valued by farmers are:
number of teats, body length, floppy ears and
fast growth. All three have higher positive
scores in the exotic and crossbred animals.

 The main limiting factors for not using the
preferred breeds (exotic and crossbreds)
are: costs of animals, susceptibility to
diseases and the need for feeds to match
higher nutrient demands as well as
investment to provide appropriate housing
facilities.