Under the initiative, farmers do not have to invest in the major cost and scientific complexities of breeding, rearing and weaning as the pig company will provide weaners produced from advanced international genetics.

This comes at a time when the Pig Industry Board has embarked on a turnaround strategy aimed at enhancing capacity utilisation in the livestock sector. Tripple C general manger Mr Mark Swannack last week urged the Grain Marketing Board to deregulate the marketing of yellow maize to enable the private sector to enter into partnerships with growers.

He added that stockfeed security was a prerequisite for successful pig production. "If the GMB can deregulate the marketing of yellow maize we can engage growers on contractual basis to grow yellow maize as stockfeed security is paramount to the success of this programme.

Source: The Herald