YAP Proposal #49: “Pig Production” (Jean Remy Muramira, Rwanda)

Pig production for income and health

I am Jean Remy Muramira, 30 years old born from Rwanda. I am a graduate of Bachelor of science in Agricultural Land Use and Management from the Makerere University in Uganda.

Introduction
It is well known that after completing their schools and /or Universities, youth are prone to unemployment. Therefore, it was in this line after my graduation of Bsc in Agricultural Land use and Management (21^st January 2015) I embarked on piggery farming in order to implement the theory and knowledge I had learnt from university into practice.

The aim was to inspire young graduate and to influence other visionary brothers to help ignite youth live hood through income generating projects.

I have established my farm at my parents ‘home in Muko sector, Musanze district, North province in Republic of Rwanda. I started up with agriculture especially piggery as opposed to other investment ventures because agriculture requires little startup capital and agriculture is relatively cheap compared to other enterprises. Another reason was that piggery does not require a big land thus due to the small and scare land in my country I decided to focus on pigs.

After I have completed university I chased for a job and I did not get it then I looked for how I could get capital for starting up my own business then I sold off crates of empty bottles of beers which were kept at home and I got 45000Frws. I used this money to buy one gilt of pig, then after sometime I got a temporary work with a Dutch company called Agriterra where I was in charge of translating and the money I earned I used it for buying one sow with piglet and another gilt to expand my farm.

The project has a socio-economic impact in my community as well as my country because pig industry in Rwanda is not well developed, reasons for this situation include the overall agricultural development in the country is low and government put emphasis on cash crop production. In livestock, the trust is on dairy, beef and poultry production thus owning pigs does not command the same social prestige as owning cattle or goats.

How does the community benefit the project?
Most of people in Rwanda and in great region like enjoying products delivered from pigs such as roasted meat and flied meat in which they have given these types of pork meats a nick name of “AKABENZI” due to the tasteful and flavor of them. Among these products, they like also sausages and butter from it which is used as traditional medicine and some use it for cooking. Another link is that pigs provide manure for crop production and a farmer is reaping some money from informed pig rearing and the society is enjoying the service. Another socio-economic impact on my community is providing jobs for young people especially youth who are in charge of feeding and caring of animals and these people are earning monthly salary.

What motivated me?
Poverty eradication was the major concern and maintaining food security at my household level, region, country and the entire world through agricultural sector especially by rearing pigs in order to stimulate the expansion of the industry due to scarcity of dietary animal protein sources, improvement in the standard of living in the country. The pig industry is one tool which can be used for improving live hoods in Rwanda due to its numerous advantages including their fast growth rate, they can be kept on a small piece of land, they produce many young ones alive, they can feed on many different by products and they have a ready market.

Management of the project
The project is managed by the owner: Mr. MURAMIRA JEAN REMY and allow visitors and advisors or other consultant to help. The prediction of future is that after extending my project I will employ an accountant who will be in charge of financial statements and record keeping.

Sustainability of the project
Mindset, through my awareness I intend to educate the community that development comes within the community not outside it. Farmer involvement is to be promoted so that they learn from the project. Continued checks on the progress of the project by government and Non-government supporters through general auditor. Through the year I intend to sell off my produce and save a percentage of 30% on the project account. The actual measurement success factors for my project will be based on Input and output balance by calculating returns on production. I will replace indigenous pigs by exotic pigs.

HOW am I going to use 5000$?

• So far I have started with three pigs (one sow, two Gilts and one piglet) indigenous ones, therefore this money will help me to bring in exotic pigs which give more production per year.
• I will be able to make my own feeds or concentrate for animals.
• This money will be used for improvement on housing, feeding, record keeping, and control of diseases and parasites selection and breeding and care of young animal’s gilts and boars.
• I will use a part of this money to access means of transport which will be used to carry feeds of animals and taking the animals to the market
• This money will help me to develop and improve management of piggery and processing some products from raw materials to the finals in future.

Blogpost and video submitted by Jean Remy Muramira (Rwanda) – remynho2(at)yahoo.fr

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