Pork makes up a relatively smaller component of the animal protein produced in South Africa in terms of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Although its production is placed behind beef and poultry, it forms an important part of the country’s commercial and developing farming sector.

According to Dr Japhta Mokoele, the University of Pretoria’s pig herd health specialist in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, pig farmers in South Africa are categorised as commercial, small-scale and backyard farmers. Commercial farmers normally farm with more than 300 sows. They slaughter their pigs at abattoirs, have greater biosecurity measures in place, make use of commercial feed, and can appoint veterinary consultants to maximise their output. Small-scale pig farmers, on the other hand, have fewer than 300 sows, although most of them have good housing facilities for their pigs. They also feed their herds commercial pig feed. However, according to Dr Mokoele, they still experience challenges as pig farming is a “numbers game”. The limited number of pigs farmed on a small scale brings about limited resources to secure veterinary interventions, which makes them struggle to buy feed or improve biosecurity measures on their farms.

“The third group of pig farmers is the backyard farmers,” explains Dr Mokoele. These are commonly referred to as informal pig farmers, and do not normally have more than 50 sows. These farmers are estimated to have as many sows collectively as the commercial farmers in South Africa. However, there is still limited information to quantify the number of sows that these farmers have in the formal sector. Both small-scale and informal pig farmers make an important contribution to food security in South Africa.

Pigs in the informal sector are mostly free range, and farmers rely on minimal infrastructure to keep their pigs. The animals are generally fed waste from kitchens, which means that the input costs are very low. The fresh meat is sold in the townships (at Chesa Nyama outlets), as well as at auctions, rural butchers and to meat speculators. However, due to the absence of proper biosecurity measures and capital, these animals are susceptible to contracting and spreading African swine fever (ASF), which can threaten the national herd.

Veterinary Science students from the University of Pretoria visit a local piggery for practical experience.

As part of their undergraduate qualification, final-year veterinary science students in the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science learn about the challenges of the pig industry in the Porcine Health and Production module (PHP 510) and in their clinical rotation in the Veterinary Core Practice module (VCP 600). The fifth-year PHP 510 module focuses on theoretical knowledge of the management, environment, nutrition, and diseases and related conditions of pig diseases, as well as biosecurity. However, the VCP 600 module (the pig veterinary clinical rotation) covers the most important pillars of pig farming and herd health interventions. These include clinical skills and veterinary decision making, individual and herd health interventions, management, soft skills, farm economics and the ability to work together as a team. According to Dr Mokoele, these pillars ensure that pig veterinarians are well rounded and have what is called Day 1 skills and competencies, as prescribed by the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC).

The VCP 600 module includes 10 weeks of clinics throughout the year, during which time the students attend discussions and presentations, followed by a visit to a local piggery, accompanied by Dr Mokoele. During the visit, the students gain first-hand knowledge of the daily operations and challenges facing small-scale pig farmers. They share information on the latest vaccinations and treatments for preventative care, as well as the protocols in place to combat controlled diseases such as ASF. They also make the farmers aware of the importance of nutrition to ensure the longevity and productivity of the herd.

Dr Japhta Mokoele (left), the University of Pretoria’s pig herd health specialist, accompanying students on a visit to a local piggery for practical exposure. A veterinary science student performs tests on a pig at a small-scale piggery as part of the practical veterinary clinical rotation module.

This is not only a learning experience for the students, but also a community engagement initiative of the Faculty, as many small-scale farmers cannot afford to pay for a herd health consultation with a local private veterinarian. It is therefore a mutually beneficial initiative, explains Dr Mokoele. “Students can integrate their theoretical knowledge with practical farm skills, while the developing farmers benefit from the wealth of knowledge of the veterinary experts associated with the University of Pretoria.”

According to Lerato Nedzanani, one of the final-year students who attended a recent farm visit, the challenges faced by developing pig farmers include a lack of funding for proper infrastructure and well-balanced nutrition. This prevents them from maintaining the animals’ health and associated welfare needs. “Through the involvement of the Faculty, we could provide the developing farmers with practical veterinary interventions that could enable them to farm better and develop their farms into commercially viable enterprises.”

Shimthi Sing, another veterinary science student, explains that not many of the students had previously been exposed to rural farms or piggeries. “The farm visit, therefore, provided the opportunity to put what we had learned about pig farming to practice.”

Cassendrah Gamede, a member of a group visiting another farm, concurs, stating that there is a big difference between what one learns in the classroom and the needs of emerging rural farmers. “Having ‘book’ knowledge is one thing, but being able to effectively communicate that knowledge to rural farmers and persuade them to apply your advice is another.” She furthermore observed that, although emerging pig farmers face significant challenges in South Africa, their willingness to improve is inspiring. “Community outreach can have a significant impact on their circumstances.”

As part of the learning outcome at the end of each rotation, the students write a comprehensive report based on the information they have obtained. This includes an evaluation of the piggery, as well as a proposal and recommendations to improve the farm, and the health and welfare of the livestock, and to reduce piglet mortality. This information enables the developing farmers to improve their facilities and the profitability of their farms as it contains practical inputs that can easily be implemented in the short term. Examples include the implementation of a vaccination programme for sows and gilts before breeding and farrowing, and addressing some of the management, disease and related conditions over a shorter period for the farmer to begin to see immediate improvements. This is done to encourage the farmers to start working on achieving their medium- to long-term farming goals.

Over the years, Dr Mokoele has observed an encouraging improvement in the farms that form part of the programme based on the students’ recommendations. He believes that this intervention is a win-win relationship for both the rural farmers and the students. Even upon conclusion of the students’ annual visits to the various small-scale piggeries, the farmers have ongoing access to the University’s veterinary expertise and support.

“We sincerely thank the emerging small-scale piggeries who collaborate with the Faculty of Veterinary Science for the invaluable experience they provide our students, which serves to facilitate student training and learning,” he concludes.