In recent years, more Kenyan farmers have demonstrated that successful commercial pig farming can be highly profitable. On average, a mature pig raised for pork can fetch a minimum of Sh. 16,000 when sold.

Samson Mbae, a retired teacher and former dairy farmer is among those practicing pig farming in the vast Meru County. His piggery, Pentafam Meru CBO, was built in 2016 under sponsorship from the Ministry of Agriculture in Meru County.

Samson explained that the venture from a merry-go-round, with the piggery named after the five pioneer families involved. They drafted a business proposal and approached the Ministry for assistance, to which they were granted Sh. 585,000 in funding.

The farm began with 10 pigs, consisting of 5 sows and 5 boars. The pigs multiplied rapidly, and by 2018, Samson had his first sale with approximately 41 pigs. Since then, the farming enterprise has continued to expand and grow.

Having started out as a dairy farmer, he chose to make the shift to pig farming after realizing the high costs involved in the former. His motivation stemmed from the fact that pigs are less labour-intensive and rather easier to manage.

“I saw that pigs don’t require a lot of work. Additionally, they need very little space. For dairy farming, one needs a large space for growing feeds and keeping the livestock,” he said adding that he was enticed by the fact that he’d feed them in the morning and only return in the evening to check on them.

“I was a dairy farmer. At that time, the milk prices dropped to a very low level. The prices of feed concurrently increased. To that effect, our earnings were meagre and required us to go back into our pockets,” he said.

Samson noted other benefits of pig farming included getting healthy manure for his farm. He also shared a successful sale experience; he once made a cool Sh. 731,000 from the selling pigs.

Violet Akinyi: We started our 500 piggery unit to sustain our church ministry works

“I once sold 44 pigs at an average of Sh. 16,600. This brought me around Sh. 731,000.”

He advised pig farmers to select the right breeds for their farms. He started his piggery with the Large White and Landrace breeds. He also introduced a Hampshire breed in his farm to encourage cross-breeding.

At Samson’s farm, the average production of each sow is between 10 to 15 piglets. He ensures good breeding so he can get a high percentage of meat and low-fat levels in the carcasses.

Samson mentioned that the average cost of constructing a quality pigsty is approximately Sh. 50,000, although costs can vary.

Pigsty’s location and design are crucial with key features being that it must be in elevated areas to avoid flooding and should have proper drainage systems for managing manure.