Tribal Farmers Earn from Pig Rearing

Under the program namely Lakhpati Farmers Smart Villagers with support of CInI Tata Trusts, NBJK has promoted collective Pig Rearing at Mailburu village of Digri panchayat in Murhu block of Khunti district, Jharkhand. There are 73 households with 356 people in Mailburu village. Main occupation of villagers is agriculture, lac cultivation and livestock rearing.

Since agriculture & lac Cultivation is limited to the farmers having land and host trees, NBJK started intervention on Piggery Development for others. In Mailburu village total 23 HHs are involved in collective pig rearing in common place with 15 boars (male) and 31 sows (female). The Piggery development concept started by series of exposure visit to understand the management practices at Kanke based Piggery Farm and other Piggery model villages promoted locally by NBJK. Initially Pig Rearers calculated the business model with help of NBJK, CInI and also with CInI based Piggery Consultants Dr. S.K.Singh. It is calculated that after gestation period, there will be 7 piglets average from each sow and the average return from 15 sows will be Rs. 2, 10, 000 at 1st time besides pork retailing cost.

There is a good demand of piglet in the area. Initially pig breeders have contributed Rs 500 each for pigsty construction. Also they contribute Rs 250 per month to feed pigs. Also pig rearing group is in contact with Khunti based hotels for waste and with local rice bear seller for fermented stuffs. CInI Tata Trust has financial supported the rearers during pigsty construction which is in terms of cement which used for sloppy floor construction. NBJK-Khunti based community/livestock resource person visits twice in a week for health checkup of pigs. Also the pig rearing group holds weekly/monthly discussion cum meeting with NBJK professional for management practices.