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Awareness concerning optimal pig production management and animal welfare among smallholder farmers in Tanzania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

UC Braae ,
M-L Penrith ,
HA Ngowi ,
F Lekule  and
MV Johansen
UC Braae*
Affiliation:
Section for Parasitology and Aquatic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
M-L Penrith
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, South Africa
HA Ngowi
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
F Lekule
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
MV Johansen
Affiliation:
Section for Parasitology and Aquatic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: braae@sund.ku.dk
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Abstract

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The aim of this study was to assess smallholder farmer awareness in terms of good pig management and to identify serious management issues that should be readily changeable despite resources being limited in a rural setting. Methodology was a combination of questionnaire and observational surveys performed at pig-keeping households practising either confinement or a free-range system. Households were identified using the snowball method. A total of 120 pig-keeping households were included, of which 32 practised free-range systems and 88 confined their pigs. The observational survey included management practices and welfare assessment based on one pig from each of the 120 households. The results indicated that farmers were not aware of the basic requirements of pigs regardless of the production system practised. Water was often neglected and provided less frequently among those practising free-range. Pigs kept free-range also received treatment less frequently compared to those kept confined. Pigs were generally kept in poor conditions with risk of injury and without shelter from wind, rain, cold, heat, and sun. Welfare issues exist within both production systems, but issues within the confinement system could be easily eliminated with proper management. More knowledge on basic pig husbandry is required in the region and is essential for improving production. Educating farmers on the basic requirements for water and feed, alone, could vastly improve smallholder pig production. Education on pig management should therefore be a cornerstone in any research activity involving smallholder farmers in rural areas.

Keywords

Africaanimal welfarefeedproduction systemsstocking densitywater
Type
Articles
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , November 2016 , pp. 439 - 446
Copyright
© 2016 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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