Pig Farm Expanding Frontiers

It is an off beat diversification for the farmers but having once realized its potential as a money spinner more and more small farmers are adopting piggery as an additional source of income. They have been inspired by the success of Ashok Malhotra of Rohtak district in Haryana who has made the spreading of this culture a mission of his life. It also makes good business sense.

by REPORTER@DAYAFTERINDIA.COM

Ashok Malhotra is a determined man and he knows what he wants. He first made a foray into the unexplored world of pig farming and after a brief period of success suffered huge losses from his farm situated on the outskirt of Kalanaur about 22 kilometers from Rohtak. That, however, was in the year 2001. Since then he has not only recovered his losses but has become an inspiration for many marginal, small and medium farmers who wish to find an alternate source of income. Not surprisingly he has been instrumental in helping about 42 more farmers to establish pig farms to augment their incomes.

The difference between now and the year 2001 when despite having about 180 female pigs he suffered losses is that he has constructed his enclosures in a much more pig friendly manner and has ensured that never again does his farm become a victim of the ‘swine fever’. With the authorities of the Animal Husbandry Department extending all technical assistance and the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) encouraging him to help establish more pig farms in the district and the region, it can be expected that a number of farmers would expand their frontiers and undertake a farming that ensures ever increasing source of income. Pig farming is probably the only activity in the rural area where the choice is with the farm whether he wishes to go on increasing his income or being satisfied with the stable income.

Ashok Malhotra has been instrumental in helping quite a few farmers to begin with a unit of five female pigs. For that he needs five enclosures of 10 X 21 feet with 9 X 10 feet of the area being covered. It would approximately cost Rs. 50,000 and an additional Rs. 60,000 would be required for the purchase of 5 female pigs. A farm hand at an approximate salary of Rs. 2500 per month would be initially sufficient which means an expenditure of Rs. 30000 during the first year. With Rs. 10,000 for the electricity, Rs. 5000 for medicine and Rs. 50,000 for the feed during the early period a total sum of Rs. 2.05 lakh would be required.

However, the returns are much faster as each of the female pig would be delivering 6 pigs each the first time and then subsequently 8 and 10 during the next two deliveries during that year. When all precautions have been taken and the good health of the pigs maintained, 40 of them can be sold at the end of the year when they are about 1 quintal each. Since the market price today is Rs. 7,000 per quintal, the first sale proceed of the farmer is about Rs. 2.80 lakhs which means that even at the end of the first year a pig farmer can expect some margin of profit. In the subsequent year the expenditure would increase only for the day to day expenditure of the feed, medicines and the increasing number of labour if the farmer wishes to expand his herd. However, if piggery remain just one of the areas of concern of the farmer it can be noticed that during the subsequent years the farmer can have much greater margins of profit that any other rural activity provides him.

Ashok Malhotra, today has a herd of 670 pigs. A had made a new start in the year with 40 females and an imported Yorkshire breed of boar and a female pig. The first born boar out of it is today still there having a pride of a place in the farm. In addition he has developed a whole new breed of his own and believes that if quality feed is fed and adequate medical preventive steps are taken there is no reason for a farmer to suffer any set backs. He is also in touch with those exporting pig products but has to ensure that he can supply them a pre determined quantity. Being determined to achieve his target, he helps other small farmers to adopt pig farming so that the number adds up to the require number.