The number of Ugandan farmers involved in pig production has been increasing rapidly in recent years, and the majority of them are smallholders. The per capita consumption of pork in Uganda is at 3.5kg/per person/year is the highest in Africa.

Pig production in Uganda falls into three categories:

Small scale extensive. This system is the simplest, with minimal investment in housing and inputs and with an almost complete absence of supervision. Pigs are left free to roam and to forage for food, from streets, garbage dumps and land surrounding villages. Most pork produced emanates from this system.

Small scale confined. Pigs are kept in shelters ranging from simple pens made of local materials to more modern housing. Food is provided, mainly swill from restaurant leftovers and other food including e.g. potato leaves and banana peelings. Farming is mostly for subsistence purposes.

Intensive systems. Mainly based in urban areas with total confinement. Few farmers are involved in this kind of system.

Whilst a lot of research has been done on pigs produced in intensive systems, little attention has been given to the extensive system. This project aims to develop an assessment tool to measure the welfare of pigs in extensively managed systems. It will use both input/resource-based measures and output/animal based measures to assess welfare. This will then be piloted and refined during visits to selected extensive small holder farms in the Kyankwanzi district of Uganda.