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Native pig production and community development in selected villages in Baucau municipality, Timor-Leste
Thesis Abstract:
The main objective of the study was to assess the Timor-Leste native pig production and its role in community development in selected villages in Baucau. Specifically, the study requested to consider the socio-demographic profile and production practices of pig farmers, and to describe the characteristics of the native pigs raised in the locality. Four villages in Baucau municipality were selected: Caibada, Triloka, Gariwai, and Bahu. A survey questionnaire was used to gather data on sociodemographic profile of the respondents and their production and management practices of native pig. A total of 156 pigs were used to assess the morphology (or qualitative traits) and body measurements (45 males and 111 females). The chosen 111 sows of different parities were used to estimate their reproductive performance.
Results showed that most of the respondents were mostly males, middle aged, married, have formal education, and have around 7 years of experience in raising native pigs. Most of them are government employees and they consider native pig raising as source of additional income. Their pig production practices on breeding management, animal health, housing, and feeds and feedings were mainly based on experience. The traders are the primary actors in the market; hence the raisers are circumscribed to sell their pigs at lower price and the pigs are valued through visual appraisal in the absence of a weighing scale. Baucau native pigs are predominantly black and have straight face with erect ears. Their hair and backline are all straight and skin is smooth. The average age gilt reaches puberty at 7 months, while the average ages of first mating and first parturition are at 7 and 10 months, respectively. Further, their average litter size at birth is almost four, while litter size at weaning is two. Body weight is strongly and positively correlated (P<0.0001) with heart girth (r=0.77) and body length (r=0.69). Similarly, heart girth and body lengths are the best predictors of live weight of Baucau native pigs. The regression and equation developed to predict body weight of Baucau native pigs weighing between 19 and 35 kg regardless of sex is body weight = -50.64 + 0.411 hearth girth + 0.65 body length.