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Pig measuring system tips scale for farmers

A new measuring system for pigs has been introduced in Kenya
© ILRI/Steve Mann

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has introduced a new measuring system to pig farmers in western Kenya that allows them to easily and accurately weigh their animals. Traditionally, the price of pigs has been determined by traders, based on a visual estimation of weight, but research by ILRI field officers in 2011 revealed that farmers were losing as much as 15 to 20 kilograms per animal. "There was a huge discrepancy," explains ILRI's Florence Mutua. "Pig farmers invest a lot in rearing the pigs but cannot even recoup the expenses due to poor sales."

Under the new system, farmers use a measuring tape to establish an animal's body length and girth, allowing them to calculate the weight. The figures are recorded on charts supplied by ILRI, so farmers can easily track growth rates.

Milkah Wepukhulu, a widow who has reared pigs for the last six years, is enthusiastic about the new system. "The pig vendors have been coming here since I started rearing and have never bought any pig beyond US$50," she recalls. "Since I couldn't predict the weight of the pig, I just went along with their estimates. But with the tape measuring tool introduced to us last year, the cheapest I have sold a pig is US$70." Florence Mutua concurs: "A tape measure worth US$0.5 has become a huge eye opener," she says.

Written by: Bob Koigi

Date published: February 2012

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