Introduction
National Swine Research Program (SARP) coordinating office is located at Khumaltar Lalitpur within one kilometer of Satdobato cross-road of the ring road in Kathmandu valley which was established in 2048 B.S. as a national commodity program with sole responsibility of improved technology generation in swine and avian species throughout the country. It has a national mandate on research and development of non-ruminant sector of the nation. At the same time, different non- ruminant commodities are limited within some pockets across the country. Pig is common among eastern and central mid-hill and western Terai. Mostly, these animals are backyard commodities of the backward communities across the country and partially commercialized at valleys and few basins of Terai.
NSRP works in coordination with other related offices to deliver its services throughout the country. The offices under NARC working in coordination with NSRP are NASRI and its disciplinary Centre, Directorate of Agricultural Research (Far Western Province), Dipyal, Doti Directorate of Agricultural Research (Karnali Province), Dasharatpur, Surkhet, Directorate of Agricultural Research (Lumbini Province), Khajura, Banke, Directorate of Agricultural Research (Gandaki Province), Lumle, Kaski, Directorate of Agricultural Research (Province 2), Parwanipur, Bara and Directorate of Agricultural Research (Province 1), Tarahara, Sunsari etc. The research activities of NSRP are carried out on station and/or at outreach research sites. Major line agencies/stakeholders working in collaboration with SARP are Department of Livestock Services (DLS), respective Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Expert Centre in the provincial and local level, NGOs (CEAPRED Samarth, Li-Bird etc), farmers’ groups and cooperatives.
Livestock sector is one of the vital components of the agriculture system of Nepal. Non-ruminant livestock species such as pig is major commodities contributing to the domestic meat production in the country. In aggregation, the promotion of pig is necessary to reduce rural poverty and generate rural employment especially for women.
Goal
- Establish non-ruminant production as an agro-enterprise for small holder farmers
- Improve the commercialization of pig sector with more research on commercial scale production
- Improve the access of farmers to the research outputs of NSRP and its partner entities
Vision
The multidisciplinary research in the field of management, nutrition, breeding and health conducted for non ruminant species like pig generates technologies as per the need of the country whose dissemination to farmers and stake holders brings prosperity and development in livestock sector and play a major role for reducing poverty.
Objectives
National Swine Research Program (NSRP) under Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) has the following mandates:
- Identify in consultation with relevant stakeholders (Directorates of research from 7 different province, local and provicial level stake holders and farmers) problems and constraints limiting meat and egg production in the country.
- Conduct applied and adaptive research trials both on stations and on farms addressing the identified researchable problems.
- Disseminate the technologies via directorates of research from 7 different provinces, local and provincial level stake holders either through publications or other feasible means for extension in the farmers’ field.
- Maintain pure line pig and poultry nucleus stock in research stations and make available the genetic materials to the breeders.
- Develop suitable strains of pig adapted to different agro-ecological zones.
- Introduce and develop suitable line for other avian species such as turkey, quail and duck.
- Improve the handling, storage, processing and preservation techniques of egg, meat, fiber and pelt.
- Develop measures to control and eradicate poultry, swine and rabbit diseases
- Demonstrate improved husbandry practices and suitable technologies to farmers in pig husbandry.
Strategies
- Make available a number of breeds to be chosen according to ecological/cultural niche.
- Explore alternative sources of feed to address the increasing competition between human and livestock for feed.
- Develop research-farmer-extension mechanism to effectively deploy the research outputs.
- Explore the ways to widen the diversity of feed sources to promote economic production of poultry at commercial level.
- Develop NARC knowledge base on other avian species by tapping the need of new frontier industries.
- Develop breeds of domestic choice for production as well as for consumption.
- With the available resources, develop package for rabbit meat production.
- Develop strength on the post-harvest processing of Angora wool.
- Diversify the use of rabbit products e.g. skin to the growing need of leather industry inside and abroad
Mandate
- Study, research, monitoring and guidelines on swine at national level.
- Necessary assistance to the concerned bodies for preparation of policies and programs related to swine
- Production and distribution of improved breeds of swine. Capacity building of manpower related to swine
- Coordination and cooperation with national and international organizations with the approval of the Council
Working context
National Swine Research Program is a national commodity program with sole responsibility for the study and research of non-ruminants specially pig. Since its inception (2048 BS) with the formation of the Nepal Agricultural Research Council, the program has been conducting research on the needs of the nation which are farmer-friendly, participatory and multidimensional research on these livestock. Additionally, the program has been conducting the research activities within the NSRP farm and different outreach research sites including farmer field as well. The outputs and results gained from the research in the form of applied and adaptive technologies have also been disseminated to the farmers and this is a continuous process. As in the recent scenario there is drastic change in political and administrative structure of our country in the form of federal structure which has been further divided into 3 administrative levels as central, provincial and local level. The previously established technology transfer pathway is now insufficient to achieve the goal of the commodity. Therefore the linkage of research conduction and technology transfer needs to be modified. The program is located in Khumaltar, Lalitpur and there is utmost need to widen the area of research to reach farmers of different agroecological zone in this newly formed political and administrative structure to accomplish major goal of “commercialization of pig, poultry and rabbit farming and increase farmers income thereby improving the financial condition and nation’s prosperity”. Hence, SARP program has prepared road map for the dissemination of developed technologies via co-ordination between central, provincial and local level which is illustrated in image feature as below.
Generated Technology for Pig
1. Breed development
Pig
- Yorkshire and Landrace are suitable breeds for improved pig production in mid hills. Nucleus herd of pure breed of Yorkshire and Landrace breeds of pig is maintained. These breeds are suitable for mid-hills. The breeding, feeding and management practices for these breeds are developed.
- Pure Hampshire farrowed 2.1 times a year, Landrace and Yorkshire 1.9 and 1.9 and YL crosses have 1.6 per year.
- Age at first farrowing is lowest for Yorkshire (368±17.7) among Yorkshire, Landrace, Y x L and Hampshire.
- Litter size per farrowing is highest for Yorkshire.
- Postnatal piglet mortality percentage is lowest for Hampshire i.e. 10.3 %.
- There is not any significant difference in supplementary 0.25 mg. 0.35 mg. and 0.45 mg of iodine per kg. Concentrate mixture of feed in diet of pregnant and nursing sows on their production performance.
- The conception rate of artificial insemination by using frozen semen was found up to 50 % whereas 100% in natural mating.
2. Feeding Package
Pig:
- Feeding of Rice bran 2.5 Kg/day, maize 0.500 Kg./day and Grass 1.42 Kg/day in pigs diet the total cost become Rs. 11407.00, total income Rs. 20767.00 and total benefit was Rs. 9360.00.
- The control group was receiving 100% commercial ration while the other treatment group receiving 70% pig ration and 30% green Sisno leaves and feed after cooking. Results shows that the higher body wt. in Sisno fed group . Green leaves of Sisno apparently did not cause any side effect and in fact those pigs getting Sisno in their feed were looking more shining and healthy than their counter part.(NARC, News Letter, April-June, 2005, Vol.(12), No.12.)
Researchers
- Mr. Manoj Kumar Sah, Scientist (S-2)/Coordinator
Contact Address
National Swine Research Program
Pakhribas, Dhankuta, Nepal
Tel:
Email: nsrp@narc.gov.np
Website: www.narc.org.np