Author : Saiphou Lormaisim

Summary : This study was conducted to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents; characterize Moo Lat native pig; evaluate production system; analyze production performance; and recommend strategies to improve Moo Lat native pig production. One hundred seventy-three Moo Lat native pig raisers from selected villages in Salavan District were interviewed. Body weight and size measurements of 60 Moo Lat native pig (a Lao name for one type of native pig) were taken. Descriptive statistics, univariate, and single linear regressions were used for data analyses.

The respondents have sufficient number of years of pig raising experience, but their native pig production system (pig growing practices, breeding management, health and sanitation management, and marketing) remains traditional because they lack communication channels, training opportunities, technical support from experts, and proper market linkage. Their main problems are disease outbreak, high mortality rate, low productivity, and lack of technical assistance.

The respondents' primary reason for raising native pigs is for additional income. Their predominant systems of native pig raising are free-range and sheltering under a tree, and only a few have pig pens. Their most common pig feeds are rice bran, cassava tubers, kitchen left-over, feeds from forest, banana stem, and papaya. Most pig raisers do not practice proper pig management because they do not follow the standards in vaccination, vitamin supplementation, cleaning of pens, bathing the pigs, de-worming, pen disinfection, iron injection, cutting umbilical cord, docking the tail, cutting the teeth, and castrating the males. Their pigs' common diseases are CSF, FMD and parasite.

The Moo Lat is the most locally available native pig breed and thus more preferred to be raised. Moo Lat is black with white legs and white spot on the forehead. Its ears are short and directed forward and its face is long and straight. The 60 pigs have mean measurements of 12.39 kg of body weight (BW); body length (BL) of 44.26 cm; heart girth (HG) of 50.94 cm; withers height (WH) of 36.41 cm; ear length (EL) of 12.14 cm; tail length (TL) of 16.55 cm; and 10.37 numbers of teats (NT). The gilts and boar's first mating are at 7-9 months old. The sow has 110-120 days gestation period. Its first farrowing is at 10-14 months old, and its litter size is 5-11 piglets. At birth, the native pig weighs 0.70 kg and weaned piglet weighs 6.98 kg at 75-90 days. The pigs' BW is positively correlated with HG, BL, WH, TL, and EL and using single regression to predict body weight of Moo Lat native pigs (regardless of sex), heart girth was the best predictor (R2=0.91). The recommended strategies include capacity-building, adapting/utilizing native pig raising techniques and technology, conducting farmers' needs assessment, and improving marketing system.