Nepali pig farmers learn management techniques from TIRI scholars

Original Short Report:

Published in official website;
http://lcccrsp.org/2013/08/researchers-make-significant-improvements-to-nepal-pig-farmers-practices/

on
Feed the Future Innovative Lab
Collaborative Research
(Adapting livestock systems to Climate Change)


Nepali pig farmers learn management techniques from TIRI scholars

§  Pig farmers in Nepal have learned how to better house, feed and breed their pigs

§  More pigs are surviving, which means the farmers are able to make more money

§  Farmers are living healthier lives and increasing their productivity

§  Farmers are more positive about collaborating with researchers as the result of these research efforts

Photograph 1: A farmer weighs a pig to estimate the productivity loss due to parasitic infection and to prepare the correct dose of medicine. Photo by Upendra Shrestha.

Upendra Shrestha, Innovation Lab TIRI Scholar and faculty member at Kantipur College of Medical Science (KCMS), has been working to improve the lives and economic status of pig farmers in Nepal through education and medical assistance.

When Shrestha visited pig farms in Nepal for the first time, what he saw was described as “extremely poor conditions.” Many pig farmers in Nepal are unaware of the importance of sanitation and the adverse effect of poor sanitation.

One of the first things Shrestha noticed was that most pigs on farms in Nepal live in cement pens with uncovered floors. He thought that the extreme cold of the cement blocks could be why the region was experiencing an increased number of deaths during the winter.

Another way to easily decrease the chance of spreading infectious disease among the livestock on the farms is to keep animals separated. In many cases, farmers had brought other animals like hens and ducks onto the farm without designating a proper space for them, and thereby increased the likelihood of spreading pathogens from one animal to the other.

Furthermore, parasites are also easily spread between the mother and her piglets because there is no separate space to keep them either.

The pigs’ diet was also a contributing factor to the overall poor conditions of the livestock and higher percent of parasitic infections. Up to ninety percent of their diet consisted of restaurant scraps, remaining alcohol fermentation and garbage. In addition, the local water source used for the livestock drinking water often contains raw, solid sewage.

Photogragh 2: Researchers distribute anti-parasitic drugs to both farmers and pigs. Photo by Upendra Shrestha.

Finally, nearly every pig farmer who participated received anti-parasitic medication. This will cut down on the hours farmers spend fighting illness.

At first, convincing pig farmers to participate in the research study was difficult. However, after just one training session that covered basic farming and sanitation principals, anti-parasitic drugs distribution to farmers and pig, and how to solve some other problems that were impeding economic success, farmer response changed drastically. Now, pig farmers are supportive of the research and are making necessary changes.