Pig farming in Africa

4 Reasons why entrepreneurs should consider the pig farming business in Africa

Just in case you’re not inspired enough by the amazing successes of these pig farmers, I decided to give you four interesting reasons why you need to give this venture a thought.

Some of these reasons may be already known to you while others may be totally new – however, what they all share are the facts.

#1 – Consumption of pork products is already growing across Africa!

Urbanisation and economic growth is leading to the increasing presence of international and local fast food restaurants across our continent.

In addition to the entry of fast food brands like KFC and Dominoes, supermarket and retail giants like Walmart (Massmart in South Africa), Shoprite and SPAR are introducing a range of pork-dominated Western diets to African consumers.

Foreign tourists, workers, investors, and their families are also flocking to our shores for business and pleasure. As a result, more of the hotels and restaurants who have a large customer base of foreigners now want to serve pork delicacies. This surely means that local pig farmers will be needed to maintain a huge and regular stock of pork products to satisfy the growing demand.

In South Africa for example, pork has overtaken mutton/lamb as the more favourite meat following the 59 percent rise in pig production.

Another interesting example is Morocco, an overwhelmingly Muslim country. Moroccan pig production is increasing to cater to the demand of millions of tourists (especially Europeans) who visit the North African nation every year.

According to this article, it’s quite interesting that the major pig farmers in Morocco are Muslims and Jews (who do not consume pork for religious reasons). This interesting trend is sure to continue as Africa’s cities grow to accommodate more foreign tastes.

#2 – Pigs multiply really fast!

One of the reasons why pig farming is very lucrative is that pigs multiply really fast. One sow (mature female pig) can furrow (give birth to) between 8 and 18 piglets at a time.

The gestation (pregnancy) period for pigs is just four months and sows can furrow up to two times a year. This means that one sow, which costs about $400, can produce up to 16 – 36 piglets in a single year. These piglets which reach a market size of 70 kg in six to seven months can sell for up to $300 each!

No other farm animals, except chickens, rabbits and ostriches, can multiply this fast!

As you will learn in the detailed manuals at the bottom of this article, pigs grow to market size very fast because of their amazingly high feed-to-meat conversion ratios. This simply means that for every kilogram of food they eat, pigs produce more flesh (meat) than cattle, goats and sheep.

#3 – Pigs are highly adaptable and easy to farm

According to one of our recommended manuals, pigs have over 15,000 taste buds (humans have just about 9,000). This enables them to eat everything humans eat and other stuff like grass, forage and feed eaten by other animals.

In fact, pigs are the best and most efficient animals for converting kitchen wastes, garbage, leftover food and other non-conventional feedstuffs into meat.

Considering the high and rising cost of grains and concentrates used to produce animal and livestock feeds, the ability of pigs to consume a wide variety of foods increases its profit potential as a business.  Since they are able to recycle most materials (which they eat and convert to meat), pigs help farmers to largely reduce feeding costs and waste.

Pigs also have a high resistance to diseases (these guys hardly get sick) and adapt easily to most environments (hot or cold). This makes it possible for pigs to be raised on both a small and large scale.

Due to this adaptability, pigs make great candidates for intensified or diversified agriculture that fits a wide range of budgets.

It’s also important you know that pigs do not have sweat glands and have no way of cooling themselves when they get hot.

So they don’t die of heat exhaustion, pigs raised in the open often wallow in the mud as a way to cool down.

A pig’s love of mud is not for the sake of filth or dirtiness; it’s just a basic act of survival. Pigs by nature are actually very clean animals. Yeah, I was surprised too but that’s what the experts say!

#4- Pigs yield more meat

Despite their ability to convert more feed into body weight (flesh/meat), pigs also produce more meat when they are slaughtered.

Unlike cattle, sheep and goats which produce between 50 and 55 percent meat from their bodies, pigs can yield up to 70 percent edible meat because they have a much smaller proportion of bones than meat.

In addition to its high meat yields, meat processors and marketers love pig carcasses because they’re easier to handle and package compared to other types of meat.