Volume 118, Issue 4, 1 March 2015, Pages 319–327
A description of smallholder pig production systems in eastern Indonesia
Highlights
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- Survey of smallholder pig farmers across eastern Indonesia.
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- Pigs are mainly kept as a secondary income source.
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- Majority of pigs are penned or tethered with some free roaming in the village.
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- Majority of farmers perform backyard slaughter for household meat consumption.
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- Farmers have limited access to animal health facilities and biosecurity is minimal.
Abstract
Pig
farming is a common practice among smallholder farmers in Nusa Tenggara
Timur province (NTT), eastern Indonesia. To understand their production
systems a survey of smallholder pig farmers was conducted. Eighteen
villages were randomly selected across West Timor, Flores and Sumba
islands, and 289 pig farmers were interviewed. Information on pig
management, biosecurity practices, pig movements and knowledge of pig
health and disease, specifically classical swine fever was collected.
The mean number of pigs per herd was 5.0 (not including piglets), and
total marketable herd size (pigs ≥ two months of age) did not differ
significantly between islands (P = 0.215). Chickens (71%) and
dogs (62%) were the most commonly kept animal species in addition to
pigs. Pigs were mainly kept as a secondary income source (69%) and 83%
of farmers owned at least one sow. Seventy-four percent (74%) of pigs
were housed in a kandang (small bamboo pen) and 25% were
tethered. Pig feeds were primarily locally sourced agricultural products
(93%). The majority of farmers had no knowledge of classical swine
fever (91%) and biosecurity practices were minimal. Forty-five percent
(45%) reported to consuming a pig when it died and 74% failed to report
cases of sick or dead pigs to appropriate authorities. Sixty-five
percent (65%) of farmers reported that a veterinarian or animal health
worker had never visited their village. Backyard slaughter was common
practice (55%), with meat mainly used for home consumption (89%). Most
(73%) farmers purchased pigs in order to raise the animal on their farm
with 36% purchasing at least one pig within the last year. Predominantly
fattener pigs (34%) were given as gifts for celebratory events, most
commonly for funerals (32%), traditional ceremonies (27%) and marriages
(10%). For improved productivity of this traditional low-input system,
research incorporating farming training and improved knowledge on pig
disease and biosecurity needs to be integrated with greater access to
extension services.
Abbreviations
- ASF, African swine fever;
- CSF, classical swine fever;
- GLMM, generalised linear mixed model;
- Lao PDR, Lao People's Democratic Republic;
- NTT, Nusa Tenggara Timur;
- WT, West Timor
Keywords
- Smallholder farmer;
- Pigs;
- Eastern Indonesia;
- Biosecurity;
- Nusa Tenggara Timur;
- Classical swine fever
- Corresponding author. Tel.:
+61293511609; fax: +61293511618.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
