Paul Misika from the Suisae Piggery Association in West Kwaio acknowledges the World Bank through the SIART Project for what he says is “a big help indeed for us the people in the rural areas.
Farmers in West Kwaio set to benefit from SIART supported piggery project
Tuesday 3 November, Honiara – Local pig farmers in West Kwaio, Malaita Province are relishing the opportunity to own their own piggery farm and develop it into a sustainable agribusiness that will benefit their rural community.
The Suisae Piggery Association in West Kwaio is among the sixteen (16) piggery Agribusiness Producer Organizations (ABPOs) supported by the Solomon Islands Agriculture Rural Transformation (SIART) Project, a World Bank funded initiative implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL).
For this group of twenty (20) household farmers, this is the first time for them to receive such funding support and to operate their own piggery farm, something they described as “very helpful for us the rural people’.
With support from the SIART Project, they have already completed the construction of their breeding shelter, fattening shelter and storage shed.
Currently they have four (4) pregnant sows and one (1) boar in their breeding shelter to start with.
Once the sows deliver piglets in the coming weeks as expected, they will then be transferred to the fattening shelter which can accommodate up to 100 piglets for fattening.
“We estimate to earn around $100,000 when our piglets are ready for the market,” local farmer and member of the Suisae Piggery Association, Paul Misika, said.
“This is because we plan for this fattening shelter to accommodate more than 100 pigs, and that’s what we plan and hope for after going to the market.
“But then it comes back to us to feed and look after our piglets so that we can market them. But that is our estimated amount. It could be less than that, but that is what we aim for at the moment,” he added.
The 20 households who are members of the association consists of 60 individual farmers who work together to manage their piggery project with the hope of easing some of the financial challenges associated with rural life.
Mr. Misika stressed that having this project in their community is a really big help for their families and community.
“This is a big achievement for us.
“We never received such a support in the past. But now we see this will benefit us financially and help our families to support our rural and basic needs,” he said.
Mr. Misika acknowledges the World Bank through the SIART Project for what he says is “a big help indeed for us the people in the rural areas.”
The SIART Project has invested a total of $8.7 million into twenty (20) piggery ABPOs, 16 in Malaita Province, 3 in Guadalcanal Province and 1 in Makira/Ulawa Province which is improving the livelihoods of 532 households and benefitting around 3,000 individuals in different communities across the three provinces.
The ABPOs are community-based groups and family networks that work together to improve market access, secure funding and boost agricultural production.
SIART supported the establishment of pig breeding facilities including pig house, breeding stock, feed and equipment and distributed weaner to local farmers who are members of the respective ABPOs.
With the piggery ABPOs, SIART ensures that they comply with set environmental safeguards standards with proper housing and waste disposal, management and take into consideration the animals’ welfare.
A total of $902,000 has been disbursed to the 20 piggery ABPOs to purchase weaners and feed and to operate and manage their ABPOs.
The SIART supported piggery fattening shelter for the Suisae Piggery Association can accommodate up to 100 pigs.
Members of the Suisae Piggery Association in West Kwaio with their pig feed processing machines funded by the SIART Project.
The Suisae Piggery Association in West Kwaio Currently they have four (4) pregnant sows and one (1) boar in their breeding shelter to start with.
The Association’s breeding shelter also funded by the SIART Project.
With the piggery ABPOs, SIART ensures that they comply with set environmental safeguards standards with proper housing and waste disposal, management and take into consideration the animals’ welfare.