Evaluation of pig production practices and constraints faced by smallholder piggeries in Trinidad

ABSTRACT

Objective: Pork is one of the most consumed sources of animal protein globally. While many countries have recorded an increase in the pig population to satisfy this increasing demand, in Trinidad there has been a drastic decrease in the pig population and consequently a decrease in local pork production. Design and Methodology: A cross-sectional survey to evaluate the production practices and identify farmer constraints was conducted targeting 54 smallholder piggeries. Potential farms were randomly selected from farmer lists obtained from the County Veterinary Offices. Farms were evaluated using a combination of questionnaires and on-site farm observations. Results: The majority of farms were family operated and there were a significantly higher number of male farmers (80%) compared to female farmers (20%) (p = 0.001). The farmers' ages ranged from 24 to 88 years, with 39% of farmers were 50 years or older. Most farmers (87%) lacked any formal agricultural training yet engaged in formulating diets using waste products obtained from other food processing industries. Pigs were primarily reared in either intensive (80%) or semi-intensive production (17%) systems and pigs of all physiological states were reared together. Most farms (89%) used natural service and none had an oestrus synchronisation program. No farmers surveyed were engaged in the production of value added products. The two most common constraints identified by farmers were high feed cost and low revenue obtained for retail pork. Conclusion: Innovative approaches are needed to attract an increased number of younger farmers and encourage the adoption of modern production practices to increase the efficiency of pork production.