GABORONE, Oct. 5 — Lebopo Elton Mphinyane, a Botswana farmer, took up pig farming in 2015 after struggling to find a job after graduation.
As soon as he realized how lucrative the endeavor could be, he decided to go for it in full force.
The 30-year-old man owns a farm in Molongwane, about 25 kilometers north of Gaborone, Botswana’s capital city.
“I’ve always had a passion for farming since I was a child, and after graduating from school in Accounting and Finance, I struggled to find work,” said Mphinyane, who had to devise a strategy to create something that would sustain him.
He started by borrowing 30,000 Pula (about 2,656 U.S. dollars) from his family and bought pigs, which he sold every three months to supplement his income and invested in feeds and structure.
In 2017, he purchased two pigs that produced 10 to 12 piglets every three months. He now owns more than 50 pigs and sells a significant number of them each year.
He grew his business into a more commercial one, selling to local butcheries and large retail stores, as well as packaging and distributing pork to individuals.
He said that an 8-month-old pig could be sold for around 3,500 Pula and 3 kg of pork slices for 200 pula.
The market for pig products exists, but the challenge is the mindset of potential clients, who frequently do not understand the value of pigs and want to pay every little amount, which could make his venture unprofitable given the investment he makes and the high cost of feed, he said.
Since COVID-19, Mphinyane has faced numerous challenges because tourists used to buy some of his produce, and consumption has decreased.
“It has had a negative impact on my business because clients now want to buy it on the cheap,” he said.
He has asked the government to assist farmers with subsidies due to the high cost of production.
“Other farmers purchase pigs from outside the country at a lower cost. I’d like our government to support us locally, to buy our product,” Mphinyane said.
For the past six years, Mphinyane has been applying for the Youth Development Fund in the hopes of receiving funding to expand his business.
“I’ve been turned down six times now, but I’m not giving up,” he told Xinhua.
In order to expand his business, he plans to build a much larger structure to house 200-300 pigs once he receives funding.
Pig farming in the southern African country has the potential to create jobs for young people who are interested in farming but aren’t solely concerned with profits, he said.
He advised those interested in farming to work hard, be smart, and be motivated by a strong desire to succeed. – Xinhua
Botswana graduate aims high for pig raising amid pandemic
