Rwandan Smallholder Households' Challenges and the Profitability of Pig Farming: A Case Study of the Musanze District

Abstract

Insecurity is a risk associated with the growing human population, particularly with regard to animal-based foods. Pigs contribute significantly to household income throughout all production levels. This study's primary goal was to examine Rwandan smallholder households' pig farming profitability and restrictions. A multistage sampling strategy was used to ensure the research's success. Five sections of the Musnze district were used for the study. Five sectors and the Musanze district were chosen using a purposive selection technique. However, a sample size of 120 pig farmers who responded was obtained using a random sampling technique. The profitability of pig farming was assessed by calculating the costs and returns involved in production, and the factors influencing pig farming among small householders were identified using STATA and a stochastic frontier production function. The results showed that the majority of respondents in the research area's pig farming production are men. According to the results of the regression analysis, pig farming in the study area was influenced by five factors: education level, market availability, off-farm generation, feed availability, and access to veterinary services. These factors were all positive and statistically significant at the P ≤ 0.01 level of probability. Additionally, the results showed that Net Farm Income (NFI), Gross Margin (GM), Total Revenue (TR), and Total Cost (TC) were all statistically significant at (p < 0.01). According to the research findings, pig farming is a lucrative enterprise in the region under investigation. Regression analysis results also showed that, at the P < 0.01 level of probability, the three factors—income generation, employment prospects, and new job creation—had positive and statistically significant effects on pig farming in the research area. According to the study's findings, the most frequent obstacles to pig farming in smallholder households were inadequate initial capital, high feed costs, poor feed quality and sacristy, a lack of conservation facilities, pest and disease outbreaks, high piglet costs, a lack of farming knowledge, and substandard housing. notwithstanding the limitations mentioned by several study participants. In the research region, pig farming is a lucrative industry that can raise income, improve employment prospects, create new jobs, and obviously raise farmers' standard of living. The study's conclusions have led to recommendations for training and equipping pig farmers and veterinarians with new technology and innovations, as well as for promoting interventions that can help farmers or marketing organizations acquire initial start-up funding to help launch their farming operations. In order to support and enhance the underlying company progress or stunting, as well as to make wise decisions, encourage the examination of profitability, opportunities, and limits along the pig value chain.