Posted on December 12, 2023

Whether they are the finest pure breeds or just great crosses, once you get those pigs into your farm, you will realize one thing: Feeding them can become a headache. The excitement will be replaced by constant worry about how to feed them. If you live far away from your farm, chances are that every time your farmhand calls you, they will tell you this: "Boss, we're out of pig feed." Again! Those calls will give you a hefty dose of dread. And you will start questioning yourself if pig farming is really a profitable venture.

Pig farming is a very lucrative type of farming, but only if you understand at the beginning that it is not about:

What type of breed you have

Whether pigs can eat anything and grow faster

Whether you have the perfect pig house in the village

Pig farming is first and foremost about feeding. In fact, it is about feeding one pig 3 kilograms of food daily for 6 months.

Imagine you are a parent of 20 beautiful children in this day and age. Will you be able to live the quality of life you have right now? Can you provide them with a quality, balanced diet year after year until they are independent adults? Chances are it will cost you to make serious sacrifices in your living standard.

Get this right: On average, when a piglet is born, you need to budget for at least 3 kilograms of quality food per day for six months before it can reach a minimum of 75 kilograms or more, so you can sell it and make your money back. In Africa, most farmers cannot feed a pig 3 kilograms a day for six months straight, so they will always sell the piglets when they are about a month old. Let's be real: This is because the spending power of most Africans is still low.