Monitoring production, health and marketing of indigenous Tswana pigs in Ramotswa village of Botswana

摘要

Thepurposeofthisstudywastomonitortheproduction,healthandmarketingofindigenousTswanapigsinRamotswavillageofBotswanaovera12-monthperiod.FarmerswhorearindigenousTswanapigswereidentifiedbyconductingarandomsurveythroughoutthevillage.Thesefarmersweretheninterviewedusingaformalquestionnaire.Informationwascollectedondemographicparameters,managementsystem,herdcomposition,reproductionparameters,shelter,marketing,monthlystockmovementsandincidencesofexternalandinternalparasitesfromDecember2004toDecember2005exceptduringAprilandMay2005.ThedatawasanalysedusingFrequencyandGeneralLinearModelProceduresinStatisticalAnalysisSystem.Eight(8)farmerswereidentified,whokeptatotalof67pigscomprisedof38.8,22.4,19.4,17.9and1.5%piglets,gilts,sows,castratesandboars,respectively.Itwasfoundthatelderlyfemales(75%)inmale-headedhouseholds(62.5%)witheitherprimaryornoeducation(75%)farmedpigsinRamotswavillage.Allthepigsusedinthestudyweremanagedextensively.Themajorityofthefarmers(75%)didnotcontrolthereproductionoftheirstockbutthepigswereabletofarrowandraisetheirpigletswithverylittleassistance.Allfarmersdidnotkeepanyformofrecords.Thepigsweremostlyscavengerssupplementedwithmainlybrewersgrains.Theywereprovidedwithsheltermadefromlocallyavailablematerialstoprotectthemfrominclementweatherandpredators.Halfofthefarmers(50%)didnotcleantheshelters,butthosethatdidcleandidsobyremovingmanurewithshovelswithoutsanitation.ThepigsweremainlymarketedfortheirmeattothelocalcommunityandChineseexpatriates.Duringthestudy,68animalswereslaughtered,while70birthswererecorded,9pigswereeitherkilledbycarsorstraydogsand2weregivenawayasgifts.ExternalparasitesidentifiedwereRhipicephalasevertsievertsiandAmblyommahebraeumticksandHaematopinussuisliceandAscarissuumandTrichurissuisinternalparasites.Generally,thelevelofinfestationofbothexternalandinternalparasitesdidnotdiffersignificantly(p0.05)betweenfarmsandmonthsthroughoutthestudyperiod.Therewerenoincidencesofdiseasesreportedthroughoutthestudyperiod.Farmersshouldbeencouragedtoimprovemanagement,husbandrypracticesandproductivityofTswanapigs.MoreresearchshouldbedonetoimprovetheoverallproductivityofindigenousTswanapigsinordertoconservethemthroughutilisation.