Economic feasibility study of the establishment of smallholder pig farmers for the commercial market :Empolweni case study

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Food security is a national priority, according to Section 27 of the South African Constitution. It states: 'Every citizen has the right to have access to sufficient food and water, and that the state must by legislation and other measures, within its available resources, avail to progressive realisation of the right to sufficient food. Nevertheless, while food security is clearly a government priority and regardless of the country being considered as self-sufficient in respect of food production, food insecurity remains a dire South African challenge.This study presents the improvement of smallholder pig farmers to a commercial standard with funding from the government as a potential means to address poverty and food insecurity in South Africa. Commercial standard pig farms as opposed to smallholder pig farms provide increased employment, food production, biosecurity and food safety. This investigative study evaluates the economic feasibility of a smallholder commercial pig farm in the Mamre area. The Empolweni community's pig farmers serve as the case study and as an example of a typical smallholder pig farming community. Their current operations are studied, the requirements for a conversion to a commercial standard are assessed and the profitability and sustainability of the proposed commercial model is judged.The study's findings indicate that specific scenarios (high production performance, large pig farm unit sizes, pork price increases or feed costs reductions) a commercial smallholder pig farm can achieve economic feasibility. However, trends indicate that there is low likelihood of the required conditions to achieve economic feasibility will be able to occur. The thesis judges only the potential economic feasibility of the case study, as opposed to the economic feasibility of commercial smallholder pig farmers on a national or regional level.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University