Pig Feed from Local Resources - India, Manipur
by Eleazer Raingam - 2008 Graduate
Organization for Socio-Economic Upliftment of Tribals - OFSUT
submitted October, 2022
Network e-Bulletin No. 11, November 2022
Eleazer’s Cooked Pig Feed
made from locally available resources
https://gyazo.com/79879653743ca4aa7cf9a7ce6dcaab01
Eleazer at his mountainside pigpens
Getting Started after ARI
When Eleazer went to ARI, he had no experience at all in raising pigs. This was his greatest interest, so naturally he joined the pig section.
“I am from the Lakha tribe in Manipur, Northeast India. In our tribe, every festival, every occasion, we use pigs. But we don’t raise any pigs here. We are not self-sufficient in pigs. We have to buy them from outside. I really wanted to produce them here, and that is what I wanted to learn most at ARI.”
At ARI Eleazer worked hard to learn all aspects of pig rearing. Then he went home, eager to get started. But the first 3 years brought many challenges.
“I was thinking it would be very easy to raise pigs. In ARI, the local feeds are available, and it takes only six months for a pig to reach 100kg. But after coming home, I had to start from zero. I had to look for a boar. I had to concentrate on building a shed. I had to figure out how to find feed. Especially I wanted to use locally available feeds, but the feed materials in my place are different from ARI. I had to adapt.”
https://gyazo.com/78b8d4192f1cf2041a65bd3b26ddc88f
Preparing the day's feed
Eleazer didn’t give up. He shared his ARI learning with his community, and they worked together to build a pig shed and try different kinds of local feeds.
“I tried to experiment. I tried halfway cooking, using local materials like pumpkin and taro. The villagers prefer the meat of pigs fed with cooked feed, because it is softer and tastier.”
Eleazer’s Famous Pig Feed Recipe
made from materials from the farm or surrounding area
https://gyazo.com/c79a305cfb61dabbd02c9352c3dba76f https://gyazo.com/02b3ceec4450a571b6df467ca015f595
Pumpkins grown on the farm / Preparing pumpkin and chayote
Main Ingredients used according to season/availability
Pumpkins
Wild taro
Sweet potatoes & leaves
Chayote
Yams
Banana stems
Other leafy vegetables
Leftover vegetables and kitchen waste
Additional ingredients used in small amounts
Corn
Broken rice
Rice bran
Fish meal (purchased)
Preparation
Mix all ingredients and cook for about two hours.
Amount
Ingredient and ratios are estimated according to the materials available.
The amount of feed prepared each day depends on the number and weight of the pigs. As an example, a 40kg pig will be given about 4kgs of feed each day.
About the growth rate
"Although the growth rate is slow, the quality is good. People like it very much. To reach 100kg it takes around one year and two months. Even though it takes longer, the profit margin is good, because the feed materials are available locally."
https://gyazo.com/9542f1462b934a0c5543aa882f9cfaf8
Already on order for a wedding party
Pigpen and pumpkin garden integrated farming
The pigpen is built on a hillside. Below is a garden where Eleazer grows pumpkins and other vegetables. The manure from the pigpens easily flows down, or can be carried down, to fertilize the garden. The pumpkins then come back to feed the pigs! It is a beautiful natural cycle.
https://gyazo.com/3b72c8decde9b3d4c802195f5af4e8ed https://gyazo.com/a79052bcd4cdc96f7fbf1f3199b1eeb4
Pigpens above / Pumpkin fields below
Update - African Swine Fever:
Unfortunately, in August of 2022, Eleazer lost 50 pigs (average of 60kg each) to African Swine Flu (ASF). As you can imagine, it was devastating financially and deeply depressing as a farmer. He is now working to rebuild his stock. ASF is a serious livestock pandemic, hitting pig farmers around the world, including many ARI graduates.
----