The effects of African swine fever on pig farmers profitability in the Buea municipality

ABSTRACT

Cameroon’s agriculture contributes about 20% to the GDP (gross domestic product), and employs nearly 60% of the active population. Agriculture contributes almost 40% of total exports, excluding oil. Livestock represents 13% of agricultural GDP. Pig production, which is an integral part of livestock production, is faced by many constraints such as low capital for farmers, poor technology and farming methods, and the prevalence of diseases which greatly contributes to the low development of this sector.

  This study seeks  to evaluate the  African swine fever disease which is one of the major constraints to pig production around the globe and its effect on pig farmers profitability in the Buea municipality.

  In an attempt to do this, this study made use of primary data obtained through well structured questionnaires to evaluate the prevalence and virulence of this disease, the awareness and perception of pig farmers, the level of hygiene and how it catalyzes the spread of the disease, increasing mortality and cost thereby affecting profitability.

 The linear programming technique was used to analyze the primary data through SPSS and Excel.

  It was observed that the use of vaccines and biosecurity measures were the main factors that significantly affected profit loss  negatively. There were other factors which affected profit loss negatively but they were not significant.

The study further showed that ASF and profit loss were positively related to profit loss which indicated that, the more the occurrence of ASF the more the profit loss. It was therefore recommended that the use of vaccines and biosecurity measures should be intensified by farmers to reduce their occurrence and profit loss.

Cameroon’s agriculture contributes about 20% to the GDP (gross domestic product), and employs nearly 60% of the active population. Agriculture contributes almost 40% of total exports, excluding oil. Livestock represents 13% of agricultural GDP. Pig production, which is an integral part of livestock production, is faced by many constraints such as low capital for farmers, poor technology and farming methods, and the prevalence of diseases which greatly contributes to the low development of this sector.

  This study seeks  to evaluate the  African swine fever disease which is one of the major constraints to pig production around the globe and its effect on pig farmers profitability in the Buea municipality.

  In an attempt to do this, this study made use of primary data obtained through well structured questionnaires to evaluate the prevalence and virulence of this disease, the awareness and perception of pig farmers, the level of hygiene and how it catalyzes the spread of the disease, increasing mortality and cost thereby affecting profitability.

 The linear programming technique was used to analyze the primary data through SPSS and Excel.

  It was observed that the use of vaccines and biosecurity measures were the main factors that significantly affected profit loss  negatively. There were other factors which affected profit loss negatively but they were not significant.

The study further showed that ASF and profit loss were positively related to profit loss which indicated that, the more the occurrence of ASF the more the profit loss. It was therefore recommended that the use of vaccines and biosecurity measures should be intensified by farmers to reduce their occurrence and profit loss.