Poultry, Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences
Open Access

Abstract

Challenges, Opportunities and Management Practice of Pig Production in Debre Markos Town, East Gojjam Zone in Amahra Regional State, Ethiopia

Dagnew Emebet, Kassa Awoke and Awuke Asenakew

The present study was conducted in Debre Markos city, Amhara National Regional State, East Gojjam Administrative Zone. The town is situated in the north west of the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa at a distance of 300 Km. On the title of challenges, opportunities and management practice of pig production in Debre Markos Town, East Gojjam Zone in Amahra Regional State, Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were to assess the existing production system of pig in Debre Markos town, to investigate challenges and opportunities of pig production in the study area, and to examine the religious and cultural restriction of pork consumption. The data were collected through purposive sampling method based on the pig producer and non-producer perception of pig by using semistructural questionnaire on 30 household who live in Debre Markos town. The collected data were analyzed using central tendency of descriptive statics. Based on the result the majority of producer fallowed semintensive production 42.8% and fallowed by two production system (extensive 28.6% and intensive 28.6%). The majority of pigs give their first piglet were ranges between 3-5 months of age (85.6%) and minimum number of pigs give their first piglet at the age of above five months (14.4%). This shows good productivity and reproductivty of pigs in the study area. The major feed resources of pig feeds as ranked by keepers were grass (100%) followed by hotel food residues (86%) and cereal grain (43%). The major feeding system of pig in the study area were combination of grazing with stall feeding (43%) fallowed by stall feeding and frees grazing (29%) and few are feed pigs grazing on pasture land. The frequency feeding pigs in the study area were majorly three times per day (43%) in the morning at the midday and at night and the rest feeds their pigs free choice and 2 times per day (29%) for each. The major water resources of pigs water supply as ranked by keepers were river (71%) followed by tape water (43%). Majority of constraint faced by producer to pig production in the study areas reported according to their order of importance include lack of market (100%), poor attitude of society (100%), followed by feed availability and cost (57.1%), shortage of water (42.8%), lack of labor (42.8%), lack of skilled veterinarians (28.6%), high cost of medicine (14.3%) and on pig diseases and poor preventive health care (14.3%). From the results of this study it can be concluded that pig production system resulted in significantly higher returns compared with other production of farm animals but religious taboos 100% restrict to consume the meat of pork.