©Shutterstock Beautiful piglets at a farm.
If you’re looking for one of the most lucrative businesses under livestock production to invest in Ghana, then you should look no further than investing in commercial pig farming. This is because the demand for pork has skyrocketed in the past few years.
Pig products such as sausages and bacon, which can be quite expensive are also in very high demand in the urban areas in Ghana. Therefore, it is safe to say that commercial pig farming is a gold mine in the country at this moment hence you’re likely to gain huge profit if venture into this business.
Just like for every business venture, pig farming requires you to have a set business plan to prepare yourself adequately for the expenses ahead and the expected outcome. Consulting a professional is the best step towards this. With a business plan, you can get to source for capital from banks and other financial institutions and it will also serve as a benchmark for which your farm will be run.
Pig farming is sometimes considered a “dirty” job but the profits are mouthwatering. Therefore before you venture into the business, there are certain factors you should consider.
Suitable location
Firstly, you need to select a suitable location or land for your farm. The size of the land should be big enough to accommodate the structure and an expansion of the structure if you wish to grow the business. The land should be accessible to motorable roads and clean water. Also, the farm should be away from a residential area but close to market centers.
Selecting the right breed
Secondly, selecting the right breed of pigs to raise is very essential in maximizing profitability. There are a lot of pig breeds but they tend to have different production scale. Some of the most popular pig breeds in Ghana are Large White, Landrace, Yorkshires, Duroc, and Hampshire pigs. It is therefore very advisable to conduct thorough research about the pig before purchasing.
Some of the main features you should consider before selecting your breeding pigs are a pair of bright eyes, glossy coat, alertness and responsiveness to its surrounding environment, good temperament and good appeal to food, easy and normal movement and free from lameness or any other unnatural signs. Avoid purchasing aggressive pigs.
Fig 1: Large white pig breed in a modern day sty.
Feeding
The next thing we’re going to consider is feeding. Food plays a very vital role in the lives of pigs and therefore selecting the right kind of feed to feed them is of utmost importance. Even though pigs have a very high food to meat conversion ratio and can basically consume any type of food, feeding the pigs is the most costly expense of raising the pigs as it may consist up to 85 per cent of their total expense cost.
Therefore you need to learn more about their feed in order to provide quality feed for them whilst reducing or minimizing the cost. It is advisable for beginners to purchase commercially prepared feed and supply them with leftovers and other foods.
You can, however, prepare your own feed for them after gaining some experience and learning about your pigs’ diet. Furthermore, it is advisable to include proteins and vitamins in their diet as well as other supplements that help to boost their immune system. For instance, piglets require feed with a relatively higher protein content compared to the adults.
Housing
Now, we need to consider where to keep the pigs. You need to build a permanent structure to keep your pigs. Pigs are powerful animals, however, because of their fatty bodies, they are not able to withstand high temperatures.
The sty should be constructed to ensure that it prevents the sun from scorching the pigs. Therefore the position of the sun should be considered during construction to ensure that shade is provided for the pigs all day long. The sty should also be well ventilated to enhance the proper circulation of fresh air. Ensure the sty is ever clean and dry to facilitate maximum health care.
Breeding
Let us now consider breeding and the fertility of the pigs. Breeding pigs is quite easy since they are ever fertile, and they tend to have a shorter gestation period when compared to cows. A sow reaches maturity after about 8 months, and she has the capability of giving birth.
In a year, a sow is capable of giving birth to about 10-12 piglets at a go twice. It is advisable to separate piglets from their mothers so that they can grow and mature faster. Because pigs breed very quickly, it is highly advisable for startup commercial farmers to start with a smaller number and gradually increase their stock.
Fig 2: A sow breastfeeding her piglets.
Marketing
Lastly, we need to consider the marketing of the pigs. Fortunately, Ghana has a massive demand for pig products as compared to other countries. Some of the ordinary pig products are pork, bacon, and Sausages, among others. If you’re venturing in pig farming in Ghana, then you need not worry about the market. You can sell your pigs to the nearest local market or direct to the Farmers’ Choice Industry nearby.
Semi processed pigs, that is, pigs that have been slaughtered, weighed and packaged, usually cost more than selling the live animal. It is therefore advisable to get a freezer and some butchering equipment so that you can slaughter, store the meat and sell it at relatively higher prices.
Conclusion
I think one mistake first time pig farmers make is this idea of starting a big production unit without a good understanding of all the factors needed to make them successful.
Avoid the common mistake of investing too much money into structures and only to realize at a later stage that the infrastructure is lying idle, whilst at the same time you have problems taking care of the pigs. A good business plan can help in avoiding such mistakes.
If reading this article piqued your interest in starting your piggery venture, it will be in your best interest to write a good business plan. Even if you don’t necessarily have the time to write your own, don’t worry. Just send us a WhatsApp message by following this link https://wa.me/233592239127. And we’ll draft a professional business plan for you at a very reasonable price.
Pkom 