Pig Faming In Zimbabwe

Pig farming is practiced in Zimbabwe both at commercial level as well as small holder farmer scale. Pig farming is a branch of Animal Husbandry in Zimbabwe. In the country, pigs are reared mainly for food, that is pork, bacon, sausages, polony, gammon and other meats.

The Pig Industry Board of Zimbabwe

The Pig Industry Board of Zimbabwe (PIB) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development. It derives its mandate to develop the pig industry from the Pig Industry Act (Chapter 18:15). The core functions of PIB are genetic improvement, research, promotion of production and marketing of pigs. The PIB undertakes training and extension activities to promote production of pigs.

Common Pig Diseases

African Swine Fever

Abbreviated ASF, it is a highly contagious, generalized disease of pigs caused by a virus called Iridovirus of family Asfarviridae. It affects all age groups of pigs equally and most affected pigs die. Main signs of the disease in pigs include; loss of appetite, respiratory distress or difficult breathing, vomiting, diarrhoea, abortions, redness of skin of ears, abdomen, and legs.

The disease acquired and spread from warthogs that can carry the disease without showing signs for a long time. It is spread from the warthog to domestic pigs via a certain type of tick.

In Zimbabwe, when an area has an outbreak of ASF roadblocks are put in place on roads from the place to ensure live pigs and pig meat products do not leave the area. Farmers with pigs that have ASF are also banned from selling the pigs or meat. ASF can wipe out a whole herd and cause severe losses to farmers.

There's no treatment for ASF.

Pig Abattoirs in Zimbabwe

Colcom, Harare
Koala Park, Harare
Reinham, Harare
Koala Beatie, Kadoma
Glen Clover, Chinhoyi
Red Dane
Pama Meats, Zvimba
Bemba, Marondera
Tilisa
Pig Industry Board, Arcturus
Mbano
Lisheen
Kwekwe Municipality, Kwekwe
Pentland, Gweru
Mdhomboyi, Gweru
Oenem Meat Products, Glendale
Mutare Prison, Mutare
Madziyire, Masvingo
Nesta, Masvingo
Acacia, Bulawayo
Umguza, Bulawayo
Broadwell
Siyaduma

Classes of pig for slaughter

Suckling pig - a piglet slaughtered for its tender meat between 2 and six weeks usually while its still suckling on its mother's milk
Feeder pig - a weaned gilt or barrow weighing between 18 kg and 37 kg 6 to 8 weeks of age that is sold to be finished for slaughter.
Porker - market pig between 30 kg and about 54 kg cold dressed mass
Baconer - a market pig between 65 kg and 80 kg cold dressed mass.
Grower - a pig between weaning and sale or transfer to the breeding herd, sold for slaughter or killed for rations
Finisher - a grower pig over 70 kg live weight.
Butcher hog - a pig of approximately 100 kg ready for the market.
Backfatter - cull breeding pig sold for meat; usually refers specifically to a cull sow, but is sometimes used in reference to boars.