NELSON K
Ruhinda pig farmers have been urged to be vigilant in specializing in rearing productive pig breeds, taking full responsibility, and developing the culture of growing their own feeds as leaders call for support from the government under the Ministry of Agriculture program.
On Friday, pig farmers from all corners of Ruhinda Subcounty gathered at the home of Mr. Saturday Rugigana in Nyakitabire Parish, Ruhinda, where they came to gain knowledge and techniques on making pig farming productive. Through joint efforts, pig farmers formed an association which has gathered 264 farmers subcounty-wide.
While educating pig farmers, the Ruhinda Subcounty Assistant Veterinary Officer, Mr. Honest Twinomuhangi, urged farmers to adopt proper pig farming methods. He advised them to rear productive pig breeds and feed them with nutritious feeds so that they can grow quickly and generate profits. He also guided them on the types of sties to build for proper habitat and how to prevent pests and diseases. However, he warned them to stop relying on other farmers’ land and instead permanently develop the culture of growing their own feeds to avoid challenges during the project.
He motivated them by assuring them that pig farming is productive and can transform a person from poverty to prosperity if the project is carefully managed and considered a priority. He pledged full support as the Subcounty Veterinary Officer and also gave farmers hope of receiving support from Climate Smart Company, which has already supported coffee and banana farmers.
The Ruhinda Subcounty LC3 Chairperson, Mrs. Helen Kabajungu, who was an invited guest during the association workshop, urged farmers to take pig farming as a priority in their families. She encouraged farm heads to involve their family members in rearing the project in case they are not available. She advised members of the Pig Farmers Association to develop a culture of making small investments and harvesting higher returns. However, she also warned them to grow their own feeds to maintain project momentum and security.
Meanwhile, she gave hope of receiving support under the Smart Agriculture Program, pledging to submit the pig growers’ needs, including acquiring a pig feed grinding machine, productive pig breed species, and pig feeds as donations.
Meanwhile, the Ruhinda Subcounty Pig Growers Association Chairperson, who hosted the workshop at his home, Mr. Saturday Rugigana, said that he founded the association with the interest of ensuring that all residents suffering from poverty become beneficiaries. Through his leadership, the association has grown to over 264 members who consistently save 10,000 shillings each. The funds have been used to purchase productive pig breeds.
However, Mr. Rugigana stated that they have been facing many challenges such as insufficient nutrition due to poor quality feeds, stunted growth, lack of quality medicines and treatment for parasites and serious infections, and a shortage of machines to manufacture nutritious pig feeds. He called for support from the government under the Agriculture Program, urging assistance in providing advice and skills through training, as well as purchasing machines to manufacture pig feeds.
Meanwhile, as the Ruhinda Pig Farmers Association expresses interest and priority in upgrading agricultural standards through pig breeding, they have been urged to prioritize rearing the Landrace pig species for higher productivity, as agricultural officers show interest in transforming the association into a farm field institution so that they can also train others.
