Pigs farming in Nigeria has been proven times without number to be profitable, but yet many are still making loss in it and the reason is not farfetched; they house poor breeds of pigs.
While there are four major commercial breeds of pig in Nigeria, most of them cannot adapt well to Nigeria environment until you cross breed them with local or with themselves (with other commercial breed).
If you are reading this article and wondering what is all about; its purpose is to show different breeds of pig in Nigeria with their characteristic and what need to be done to have high profitability.
You will agree with me that profitability is the aim of any business forget passion if you do not have profit your business will surely die that is why we list it according to their profitability.
1) Large white (Yorkshire)
The first on our list is large white which is also known as Yorkshire. It is white in color, the male have potential to reach 400kg while sow have the ability to reach 300kg.
It has large head with big snout and a broad chest. If your niche is selling of piglet, large white is the go to because they are prolific and they a have good mothering ability.
Summary / characteristics of large white
The average litter size of sow is 12
They possess seven pairs of teat unlike other breeds
They have good mothering ability
They are the best to go for when thinking of cross breeding
It is originated from Britain
They adapt well to confine environment
They have erect ears
Price of mature large white pig in Nigeria: #40,000 to #70,000
2) Landrace
Landrace make second of our list because of their feed utilization, landrace can easily convert 3kg of feed to 1 kg meat. It is also white in color like large white but have small head and small chest.
If your niche is selling pork this is the best breed for you. The boar can weigh as much as 350kg while the sow weight rest at 300kg
Summary / characteristic of landrace
They have a droopy ear
The average liter size of sow is 10
They also have good mothering ability
Best for pork selling niche
It originate from Denmark
It has a droopy ear
They are highly susceptible to stress
They produce highest quality bacon
Price of mature landrace pig in Nigeria: #45,000 to #75,000
3) Duroc
Duroc is a red color pig, mostly rear for pork. Boar can attain 400kg while sow weight rest at 350kg.
The sow also has a good mothering ability and highly prolific, it can produce up to 10 piglets per farrow.
This pig is like a dual purpose breed, you can sell the piglet and also engaging in pork selling.
Summary/ characteristic of Duroc
They have a droopy ear
They grow very fast
They are red in color
Duroc is an America breed
They are also refers to as Duroc jersey
They are hardy and have great resistance to stress
They have low mortality rate
Price of mature Duroc pig in Nigeria: #40,000 to #70,000
4) Hampshire
Hampshire is reared solely for bacon. They are grey in color with a white belt near the shoulder.
The boar can attain 300kg while the sow will rest at 250kg.
Summary/ characteristic of Hampshire
They are muscular which make them good for bacon
Average litter size of piglet is 9
They have high weaning rate
They are better in extensive system
It can be use in cross breeding
Price of mature Hampshire pig in Nigeria: #40,000 to #65,000
5) Poland China
As the name implies, Poland China comes from China and it is new to Nigeria. It is black in color with white spot at the feet, snout and face. it has a good mothering ability and highly prolific as its can produce 15 piglet per farrow.
If your niche is selling piglet this the best breed for you
Summary/ characteristic of Poland China
The boar can weigh up to 350kg while the sow can weigh up to 300kg.
They have good mothering ability
They have a large body size
They have a strong bone
Price of mature Poland China pig in Nigeria: #30,000 to #60,000
6) Tamworth
Tamworth is a England breed rear for bacon. They are golden red in color and have less weight compare to other breed but they grow very fast. It is also prolific and has good mothering ability
Summary / characteristic of Tamworth
They have a long, large snout but small body
The boar can attain 300kg while the sow will rest at 250kg
They are good forager and do well in confinement
They are also prolific with good mothering ability
Price of mature Tamworth in Nigeria: #40,000 to #60,000
Question and answer
Which breeds of pig is best in Nigeria?
The best breed of pig in Nigeria is large white (Yorkshire) because of their good mothering ability, also they are highly prolific
Best pig breed for commercial farming?
The best pig breed for commercial farming depend on the niche for instance a farmer with a plan to sell piglet will go for large white while those with plan to process and sell pork will go for landrace.
