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Hog-raising is one of the traditional
industries in the Solomon Islands
and pigs serve as an object for
barter, reward or prize, gift, and as
dishes in banquets. Pork is also
an important source of protein for
the islanders. The main challenge
currently facing the pork industry
is that the techniques used by pig
farmers living in rural areas are
relatively underdeveloped, the feed
conversion rate (FCR) is low and the
growth rate is slow. The economic
effectiveness of hog-raising is low
and it is impossible to meet the public
demand for pork.
The Solomon Ministry of Agriculture
and Livestock (MAL) therefore
requested our assistance to increase
local pig production. Following an
analysis based on collected data and
on-site inspections, it was observed
that the reason for the insufficiency
of pork was a lack of piglet breeding
operations on the Solomon Islands’
outer islands, a lack of veterinary
quarantine officers and poor hog-
raising skills, thus leading to slow
growth rate of pig stocks.
For this reason, the project focused
on providing a stable source of
breeding pigs and piglets, combining
this with nutrient management,
infectious disease control guidance
and related technical education
training to raise the level of pig
breeding techniques and establish
a healthy brood pig management
system to assist the development of
the industry.
Breeding the First Generation
of Improved Brood Pigs,
Providing Stable Supply of
Top Quality Piglets
From 2004 to 2014, the Taiwan
Technical Mission in the Solomon
Islands implemented
the Hog-raising Project,
working on making
adaptive improvements
t o p i g b r e e d i n g ,
p r o p a g a t i o n a n d
extension. This was
supplemented by small-
scale biogas facilities,
self-mixed feed formula,
as we l l a s r e l a t ed
management technique
demonstrations and education and
training. This year, the Integrated
Hog-raising Project will be continued
and expand upon the outcomes of
the first phase. It will broaden the
previous project’s scope to include
the outer islands of the Solomon
Islands in hopes of improving pig
supply. To date, the following activities
have been completed:
1. Produced 1,381 piglets, enabling a
steady supply to the public.
2. Provided counseling to 70 farmers,
improving farmer breeding
techniques.
3. Trained two technical interns,
building specialized human
resources in livestock.
4. Maintained guidance for feed
f ormu l a t o make f i ve t ons ,
providing a feed source with
sufficient nutritional value.
In addition, in this year, a first-
generation improved pig has been
bred and named "SOLROC No.
1." This breed has the advantage
of being a large, fast grower and
fairly well adapted to the local feed
environment. It has great potential for
development.
Th i s p ro j ec t w i l l
continue to improve
t he l oca l breed as
the situation allows.
It will bring Taiwan's
advanced breeding
t e c h n i q u e s t o t h e
Solomon Islands, and
increase and stabilize
the supply of local pigs
and pork production.
At the same time, it will
train MAL technicians according
to their progress to manage the
brood pig farms, feed mills and hog-
raising extension work, and raise
their capacity for extension activities
in hopes that the project will help
the pork market in Solomon Islands
gradually balance out in the end and
improve the current supply shortage.
Also, demonstrations of small
biogas facilities will continue, as will
training of pig farmers in the use
of biogas and pig manure to lower
carbon emissions produced by pig
breeding and reduce environmental
damage.
1,200
Number of piglets bred
annually
Solomon Islands
Integrated Hog-raising Project
2
Case Study