Research for development, casSe of Pig Production and Marketing Uganda Limited and International Livestock Research Institute.
Uganda has the most rapidly growing pig industry in East Africa; this is indicated by increasing pig population for the last 3 decades from 0.19 to over 3.2 Million – UBOS in 2008. Uganda also has the best per capita consumption of pork in Sub-Saharan Africa (3.4Kg/Person/year) – FAOSTAT. Over 1.1 Million households (UBOS 2008) keep pigs in Uganda.
The sector is faced by a number of constraints and amongst all is limited access to production information and dynamic markets by smallholder pig farmers.
A company (Pig Production and Marketing Uganda Limited - 2012) owned by two youthful entrepreneurs who were pig farmers themselves was initiate to solve mainly the constraints of both market and information access together with production services.
Youth led businesses face many problems and this may be the reason why most of these collapse in earlier stages of growth. These problems rage from lack of business training, access to finance, inadequate resources to pay consultants and others.
The International Livestock Research Institute initiated a research project on pigs in Uganda and unlike other research programs, their project focused on the whole pig value chain. This gave benefit to the company because later, it was selected as one of project partners. The company is making efficient use of the experts at the project office. They offer advisory services and bridging relationship between company and other value chain actors; this is done at no cost.
The institute sponsored company leaders to acquire business skills from Kenya to enable proper business management. This is on addition of different trainings to build potential of the team to initiate, manage and evaluate trainings with farmers. As a result, the company has held two successful pig farmer trainings last year. Through the trainings, farmers realized the importance of working together as team hence the birth of Uganda National Pig Farmers Association whose registration is underway.
The unconditional sharing of research output backed by relevant advice on proper entrepreneurial actions is helping the company progress with success.
The business
Pig Production and Marketing Uganda Limited; slaughter and sale pork, offer consultancy and advisory services on pigs and sale breeding stock. The company’s core product is pork but because there is no other institution supporting farmers to produce quality farm products, the company is handling other products and services as indicated above. For slaughter pigs are sourced from various farmers attached to the company, this help them access reliable market for their farm produce.
Currently, this company is the only institution doing for profit business on pigs in Uganda.
Marketing is such expensive, the company opted to use the internet to market its products. Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) were created and constantly used to market company products. Website and blogging sites were also created to market and offer production information to farmers.
Finance is remaining a major constraint because banks are not willing to give credit without reliable security. The company is handling the constraint by managing credit systems with suppliers on addition of different strategies to acquire funds with assistance from International Livestock Research Institute.
Mr. Christopher Mulindwa