Evaluation of production and environmental aspects of different pig production systems in the Northern State of India, Punjab

Abstract

Pig farming is stepping out from subsistence farming to commercial farming. In order to enhance the commercialized pork production for gaining self-sufficiency, it is necessary to study the production and related parameters of pig at farm level. This study aims to investigate the production parameters and disposal pattern of farm waste adopted by pig farmers in the Punjab. 90 piggery units were surveyed out of which sample size of total of 82 breeding-cum-finisher units of pig were categorized into small farms ( 25 sows). The study reveals that large size category favoured the ideal pig production parameters. It was observed that the 5.17 % of breedable sows were kept on an average for producing finisher pigs for sale (44.60 %). Large category was found having largest average litter size at birth (10.2). Similarly, average weight at saleable age of finisher pig is found to be highest in large size category (102.86 kg). Majority (59.07 %) of the small pig farmers dump the manure at waste heap or dispose it in the sewage posing environmental problems.

Keywords

• Farrowing interval
• Finisher pigs
• Large White Yorkshire
• Mortality
• Pig Farming
• Production traits