Feed Management for Smallholder Pig Farming Systems in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Higher costs of commercial feed coupled with a hyper-inflationary envi ronment in Zimbabwe is impeding developments in the pig industry. The perfor mance and economic effect of substituting commercial feed with iso-nitrogenousand iso-energetic on-farm diets in smallholder pig production systems was investi gated. Two diets (sorghum-soyabean and sorghum-sunflower) were compared with commercial pig grower feed to weaner pigs with feed change overs made fortnightly. Diets were restricted at 1.2 kg per pig per day during the first 14 days and adjusted to1.5 kg per pig per day for the next 28 days. Average daily weight gains were signif icantly (p < 0.05) different between treatment diets: 300.0 g; 571.4 g; 757.1 g for sorghum-sunflower diet; sorghum-soyabean diet and commercial pig grower meal diet, respectively. Feed cost analysis indicated that, sorghum-sunflower diet cost US$3.38 to gain a kilogram of live weight, while that of sorghum-soyabean diet was US $1.79 per each kilogram live weight gain against a US $3.01 per kilogram with commercial feed. On-farm feeds can be used in pig production achieving the same performance goals under smallholder pig farming systems. Substitution of commer cial pig feeds with on-farm protein and energy alternatives improves gross margins.On-farm feed management is instrumental to the smallholder sector as it cushion them from climate change induced feed challenges and inflationary price increases.