Village pig fattening projects in the highlands

Abstract

The Tropical Pig Breeding and Research Centre (TPBRC) at Goroka in 1979 produced over 1000 weaner pigs, mostly European Crossbreds, for sale. Many of these pigs were sent to Didimen throughout the highlands for distribution to village fattening projects. Once in the villages, any help or advice was given directly by local D.P.I. staff, so TPBRC had no information on the performance of these pigs once
they had left the centre. In order to get information on the performance of the pigs in the villages, a survey was carried out during April and May, 1980. The aim of the survey was to collect information on growth rate, mortality, health, diet and management systems.