Uiseb set to take pig farming to a new level

Home Farmers Forum Uiseb set to take pig farming to a new level

Windhoek

PIG farming has an immense growth potential in Namibia and farmers stand to benefit a great deal from the introduction of a Pork Market Share Promotion Scheme implemented recently.

One man on a mission to expand pig farming in Namibia is Amon Uiseb, owner of White Meat Training Solutions in Windhoek. With vast experience in piggery, Uiseb has taken it upon himself to train and equip interested farmers with intensive training course due to start in December. While the Pork Market Share Promotion Scheme has reaped positive results since 2012, Uiseb is of the opinion that better trained and better equipped small scale farmers can take pig farming to the highest level and contribute significantly to this ever-growing market. Especially now that there is a ban on all pork products imported from South Africa due to the outbreak of swine fever in that country, Uiseb observes.

He says the scheme protects every farmer in the pig industry, and the future looks bright with this scheme for local pig farmers. The aim of the scheme is to establish an interim intervention to grow the pork industry; ensure economic viability and the future co-existence of pig production and processing sectors; and protect farmers against external influences such as low price imports.

The principle of the scheme is to implement a quantitive restriction on the import of fresh or frozen pork cuts or carcasses with a ratio of 1:3 (local purchases to imports per kilogramme).

Pig farming in Namibia is a part-time activity and most farmers do not rear pigs for economic reasons. The planned training courses will improve the knowledge of pig farmers on every level. “Our courses will inform on buying and selling of pigs, managing pig herds, housing for small piggeries, feeding, common diseases, biosecurity, piglet management, breeding, handling of pigs, planning and budgeting and marketing and economics,” says Uiseb.

He is confident that there are numerous potential advantages in pig production in Namibia, and farmers stand to benefit a great deal from well-supported pig farming activities in the country. Namibia’s pork market is threatened by cheaper pork imports, especially from South Africa, and retail shops are forced to import most of their pork from South Africa due to a lack of pig farming in Namibia.

Pork is being sold at prices far below the production cost per kilogramme for local producers, and imported pork is squeezing locals out of the market.

Some 52 percent all pig products are locally sourced while the rest are imported.
Uiseb says there is a need, especially for small-stock farmers, to diversify their activities and start engaging more in pig farming to increase the country’s capacity to sustain itself.

Apart from consumption, the sector can contribute greatly to the country’s economic growth and job creation. Uiseb’s courses will also provide business plans for pork/poultry agriculture and a marketing plan for these products. The courses will include site visits to pork/poultry farming, workshops and seminars. Uiseb can be contacted on 081 8433 109.