By Felicia Imohimi
The Pig Farmers Association of Nigeria (PIFAN) has appealed to governments at all levels to prioritise the allocation of land, finance and other resources to boost pig production and fully harness the sector’s value chain.
The President of the association, Prof. Akin Adesehinwa, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Adesehinwa decried the poor attention given to pig farmers, compared with other livestock subsectors such as cattle and poultry.
He urged governments and the public to stop viewing pig production solely in terms of pork consumption, noting that the subsector has significant economic potential capable of transforming the economy and boosting the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if fully harnessed.
“Governments should give pig farmers a free hand and other forms of support, similar to what is extended to herders, to enhance production and economic growth.
“All tiers of government should consider pig farmers because we depend on the same energy sources as poultry farmers and herders, such as maize, soybean, groundnut cake and cottonseed.
“Government is always talking about cattle ranching, but little is said about pig production. There are not many interventions for pig farming in the country. Livestock is all-encompassing, not only cattle,” he said.
The PIFAN president noted that Nigeria remains the largest producer of pigs in Africa, despite the limited government attention to the subsector.
According to him, with adequate support, the country stands to gain significantly, adding that some stakeholders are already exporting pig products.
Adesehinwa described pig farming as one of the largest employers of labour and outlined its extensive value chain, including cosmetics, brushes, leather for shoes, bags and belts.
He added that waste from pig production could be used as manure for crop farming as well as for biogas generation.
Speaking further on the economic benefits of pig production, he said the subsector contributes to unemployment reduction, youth and women empowerment, and foreign exchange earnings.
“Pig production is a foreign exchange earner.
“We have many members of the association who are not engaged in paid employment, whether graduates or not, but have built sustainable livelihoods, trained their children to enviable standards and owned houses, among others,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Tosin Kolade
