The piggery sector in the North West District continues to record steady production, but farmers remain cut off from lucrative markets due to the absence of an inspected abattoir, a problem that has persisted for years despite repeated calls for intervention.
According to the recent District Development Committee (DDC) report presented to the Full Council, pig farmers produced 23.93 tons of pork in the first quarter of 2025/26, slaughtering a total of 404 pigs. This was a slight increase from 22.22 tons in the previous quarter.
Yet production gains have not translated into better market access.
“We have about 42 affiliated members producing pigs,” said Kagiso Senwedi, a representative of the Nhabe Pork Producers Association. “But because there is no abattoir in the district, we cannot supply butcheries, supermarkets, or even the lodges. Farmers can only sell small amounts directly to households and some establishments willing to take them.”
Senwedi stressed that the absence of an inspected slaughterhouse is the single biggest obstacle to growth. “Once we have an abattoir, everything will fall into place. Right now, our members are producing, but the market is locked out to us,” he explained.
The challenge is not new. In April 2021, the then Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Beauty Manake, acknowledged the same barriers during a visit to the Moalosa Kgetsi Piggery Production and Abattoir project in Komana. At the time, she urged members to “soldier on” despite losing most of their pigs due to lack of markets and feed shortages. The project, launched in 2012 by a group of women, never managed to build its promised slaughterhouse because of funding shortfalls.
Senwedi noted that the situation has only grown more difficult. “The cost of feed is killing production. When the subsidy ended last year, prices went up, and farmers could no longer maintain the same quality or numbers of pigs,” he said. “The market is there, but without an abattoir and support with feed, farmers are demotivated.”
The DDC report itself warns that the absence of an inspected abattoir “disadvantages pig producers as they cannot supply retail outlets.” Farmers like Senwedi echo this concern, stressing that without urgent investment, the sector risks discouraging producers despite its potential.
The DDC report warns that without deliberate investment in establishing a pork abattoir with meat inspection services, pig farmers will remain excluded from formal supply chains. This has far-reaching implications: supermarkets, hotels, and wholesalers continue to rely on imports while local producers remain sidelined.
“The wheel is turning, but not fast enough for us,” Senwedi remarked. “We are ready to supply, but we plead with government to assist us in this cause. If piggery is taken seriously, it can contribute to food security, create jobs, and reduce imports.”
The situation undermines the district’s efforts to diversify agriculture and reduce reliance on imports. Piggery, though a relatively small industry compared to poultry and cattle, could play a bigger role in food security and job creation if its market barriers were addressed.
The DDC report recommends stronger government intervention to unlock the sector’s potential. Investment in an inspected abattoir would not only allow farmers to penetrate formal retail channels but also improve quality assurance and consumer confidence in locally produced pork.
For now, pig producers remain caught in a cycle of steady supply but limited demand outlets, a situation that risks discouraging further investment in the industry.
