Eswatini's Pig industry doubles in value chain through enhancement project

Eswatini’s pig industry has more than doubled in value over the past five years, growing from E72 million in 2020 to E131.8 million in 2025.

Eswatini’s pig industry has more than doubled in value over the past five years, growing from E72 million in 2020 to E131.8 million in 2025, following the completion and handover of the second phase of the Pig Industry Enhancement Project (PIEP II). The initiative, implemented with support from Taiwan, was designed to strengthen the country’s pork value chain through improved genetics, farmer training, modern breeding technologies and enhanced production systems.
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‎As part of the project, 2,463 crossbred gilts were distributed to farmers, 7,636 doses of artificial insemination semen were supplied, and 1,977 farmers received training. In addition, a national pig traceability system was introduced and slaughter hygiene standards were improved. These interventions helped raise local pork production from 1,903 metric tonnes in 2020 to 2,424 metric tonnes in 2025, enabling the country to become self-sufficient in fresh pork, while imports are now largely limited to processed products such as bacon, ham and sausages.
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‎To ensure continuity after the project's completion, about E9.85 million has been allocated to the Mpisi Pig Nucleus Farm, which will continue to drive genetic improvement, breeding and the supply of quality stock to farmers. The project has also strengthened technical capacity within government institutions and among producers, laying the foundation for sustained growth in the sector.
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‎Despite the progress, challenges remain, including high feed costs, market volatility, seasonal overproduction, low producer prices and shortcomings in slaughter hygiene. While lower maize prices have helped reduce feed costs, further efforts will focus on improving market stability, strengthening the traceability system, expanding farmer training and enforcing hygiene standards. With domestic demand for fresh pork now being met, the industry's next priority is to expand local processing of products such as bacon, ham and sausages, creating greater value for farmers while reducing reliance on imports.