Pig farming in Kenya is one of the most lucrative business ventures. Those who have engaged themselves in this activity have reaped good profits. Pigs can be raised as a small venture to provide food and nutrition to the family, or it can be expanded to become a commercial venture for profit-making purposes. Raising pigs is relatively simple as compared to other forms of livestock farming.
Feeds
You can feed pigs almost anything. Most people just let their pigs roam around in urban areas scavenging for leftovers. However this is against the law and it is not the most effective way to keep pigs. You can feed pigs with leftovers from the household kitchen, restaurants and hotels. You can also get commercial feeds to help in faster growth and maturation.
Market
There is no shortage of market for pigs in Kenya. The best time to sell the pigs is during the peak tourist season because the demand is very high. There are also many local meat shops especially around Nairobi that purchase pigs for slaughter. Farmers Choice, the biggest player in the market with a market share of 70% can enter into a deal with you to supply them with pigs for slaughter provided your pigs attain the required quality.
Profit
you can buy Young piglets at Ksh. 3,000 and they take up to six months to mature after which you can sell them at prices ranging from Ksh. 25,000 to Ksh. 40,000. As you can see it is quite profitable. The amount of inputs required is low and manageable. Pig farming is a good business enterprise if you want to recoup your investments in a short period.
Products
Some of the products that come from pig farming include pork, ham, bacon, sausages, pies, rolls, cuts, tallow & lard. Pig manure is also used as fertilizer. With such a diversified product range, finding a market for pigs is not difficult.
Potential challenges
Some of the challenges that might face a new pig farmer is getting the right commercial feeds. You can do some research on this field from the Farmers Choice exhibition farm, the internet and from other farmers. For others, the main challenge is religious and cultural hindrances. Some religions and culture prohibit consumption of pork and other pig products on the ground that pigs are unclean animals. However pigs are not as dirty as people think they are. If they are properly farmed, pigs can be as clean as any other livestock.
For further information on Pig Farming in Kenya as well as other workable business ideas, please visit Business Ideas in Kenya Website.
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