04 Jul 2024

Though piggery business in Botswana is predominantly run on a small scale, it is an important source of employment and an income earner for many people. 

In Motokwe, Ms Nametsegang Ranooe runs a small-scale piggery business in her back yard. She told BOPA that she does not regret starting the small business. She said her desire to run a piggery was provoked by a certain businessman who ran the piggery at his own farm who exchanged pigs for maize to feed his animals. 

Ms Ranooe said ever since the exchange in 2023, she never looked back and the love and passion for the business grew. She said even though the piggery was started as a trial and error initiative, she does not regret venturing into piggery as it has sustained her and her family during a drought period. 

She said pigs are a lovely lot that need to be given attention and care, and they have good returns as the market in Botswana is still big. Ms Ranooe added that she has seen many people venturing into businesses like rearing cattle, sheep, goats and chickens, but she wanted to undertake something different. 

“That was when I saw the opportunity to start a piggery. I grabbed it with both hands to make sure it succeeds,” she said proudly. Ranooe said she has five breeder pigs, being four females and one male, which have produced 32 piglets at the moment. 

She said through the commitment she has shown to the business, she met another business individual who gave her guidance on running a piggery. 

She said even though she had some ideas on running her small business, she did not have enough experience to run the business properly and the information she gathered made her a better businessperson. 

Ms Ranooe said pigs need to be properly fed so that by the time they are of sale age, they can bring the owner enough profit to keep the business running. 

She disclosed that said she has since made a plan to expand her business to the family farm so that she can increase the production to become a medium scale operator in order to meet the market needs. 

Ms Ranooe said already her piggery has caught the interest from the community and individuals, as pork is safe and healthy to eat. 

She added that her participation in the Motokwe Agricultural Show and Horse Race exposed her business to many potential customers. 

“My participation in the show gave me an opportunity to interact with other farmers and learn from them on how best I can run my business,” she noted. 

She said the three piglets she brought to the agricultural show got her position two and this means a lot to her as it shows she is going in the right direction to produce the right quality. 

Ms Ranooe said the competition for the right quality meat could not be ignored, as customers want the best from every production. She said she has not met many challenges in her business except that of pig feeds, which she buys far and have since engaged BAMB in Kang to consider stocking pig feeds as it is nearer to them. 

Nevertheless, Ms Ranooe said she looks forward to growing and expanding her business to a satisfactory level upon which she can better her life and create employment for others. ENDS