ANALYSIS OF SELECTED VARIABLES AFFECTING SMALL-SCALE PIG PRODUCTION IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

This study was carried out to determine variables affecting pig production in Cross River State. A stratified random sampling method was used to collect data from three hundred (300) respondents in the study area. Data collected was analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The  findings of the study indicates that majority of pig farmers in the study area were men. Analysis of result also revealed that most pig farmers in the study area own farm sizes less than one hectare and 57.33% of the respondents earned less than N15, 000.00 as monthly income while 3.33% earned more than N21,000.00.  Analysis of results revealed that sickness and pains (80%), lack of supplementary feeds (90%), lack of vaccines/ vaccination (91%), lack of good farm management practices (86.69%), lack of extension visitation /contact (86.67%), lack of trained veterinary doctors (100%) in rural areas where pigs farms are located /established are among some of the variables that very serious affected pig production in Cross River State. Extension agents should visit farmers and advice them to form cooperative groups to enable them obtain loans from banks to increase their capital base for higher output. . The result suggests that most people practicing pig farming can increase their capital base by forming cooperative groups to enable them obtain loans from banks for expansion of their farms. Government should train more veterinary doctors and post them to rural areas where pig farms were establishedand government should also provide mobile veterinary services in the study area.