Piggery Farming

The piggery operation at Ebuta PNG AgriFarm (EPNGAF) is a central component of the farm’s expansion plan, moving from its current small scale to a state-of-the-art commercial operation.

I. Current Piggery Status and Operations

At its current stage, EPNGAF integrates pig farming into its overall eco-farming structure:

• Current Products: The farm currently produces Live Pigs and Pork meats.
• Existing Infrastructure: The farm has spent funds on its piggery setup, including a Piggery Shad Frame construction (costing K25,000 plus) and Pig Pan construction (costing about K17,000). A figure shows the current DIY Piggery shed & its floor plan for 10 pans.
• Biosecurity and Daily Operations: EPNGAF has strict policies and processes in place to keep the pigs healthy and safe from diseases like African Swine Flu. Daily operations related to pig health and management include:
  • Sanitizing before entering the Pig Shed.
  • Requiring a Full Body cover inside the shed.
  • Prohibiting food or drink inside the pig shed.
  • Keeping other animals away from the pig shed.
  • Supplying clean water flowing through the pig pans and daily cleaning and washing down the pans.
  • Separating the boar away from the main pans for any accidental matings.
  • Monitoring the main gates to ensure they are locked to prevent unwanted predators, humans, and the spread of disease.
• Eco-Farming Integration: The droppings of the pigs are utilized to provide biogas that is used on the farm. Pig manure is specifically planned to be used as fertilizers for crops and to Feed fish and Ducks.
• Zoning: The current piggery is located in Zone 3 of the farm’s land subdivision, shared with the chicken operation.
• Income: Prior to the full commercial upgrade, the farm purchased 5 female pigs and 2 male pigs.

II. Planned Commercial Upgrade and Funding

The centerpiece of the commercial upgrade proposal is the construction of a large-scale, modernized piggery, which is allocated a significant portion few millions funding requirement.

1. New Piggery Infrastructure

The farm plans to construct a 1000 Place Fully Slatted Ventilated Finishing Piggery Shed. Key specifications include:

• Size: Nominally 16.28m x 48.42m.
• Rooms and Pens: The building will contain 2 rooms, each measuring 16.00m x 24.00m internally. There will be a total of 20 pens, with each pen designed to accommodate 50 pigs.
• Automation: The shed will incorporate advanced systems:
  • Automatic Feeding Storage Tank and Automatic Feeding System.
  • Automatic Water Drinking and washing system.
  • Automatic Waste Management system and processing for fertiliser.
• Funding Breakdown (Shed Construction): The estimated cost for the Piggery Shed Project alone is K350,000.

2. Livestock Expansion and Products

• Target Population: The farm plans to increase its pig population to 100 pigs.
• Processing: Pig meat will be processed into Mechanically Recovered Meat (MRM) products, specifically ham, bacon, pork chops, pork loin, and sausage.
• Sales Targets: The farm forecasts a high volume of sales after the upgrade:
  • Number of Pigs every 6 months: 500 pigs per season.
  • Annual Income from Pig Products: Projected at K2,100,000.
  • Revenue per Shipment: A 28-tonne shipment of pigs is estimated to generate K300,000.

III. Operational Management and Staffing

The operations require specific staff involvement:

• Farmhand Staff: Dedicated farmhand staff work on the Piggery and Cow farms.
• Management: Benjamin Yalo, the Head Farmhand, oversees the farming staff and day-to-day operations, which includes the piggery.