Impact of Community Action Research Project (CARP+1) on the livelihoods of smallholder pig farmers in northern Uganda

Pig production in Uganda is largely constrained by high feed costs, poor breeds, foul smell in pig houses, and the fact that markets are not reliable for live pigs and products. To address the constraints, the Community Action Research Project (CARP+1) introduced user-friendly interventions to smallholder pig farmers in northern Uganda. This study aimed to establish the impact of the CARP+1 interventions on pig production and livelihoods of the smallholder pig farmers. Data were collected from 75 purposively selected farmers out of the 109 who kept pigs at the start of the CARP+1. Structured questionnaires, observations and interviews were used to collect the data. The number of farmers who were not keeping pigs decreased by 85.8% as a result of CARP+1 intervention. Farmers who kept over 16 pigs increased (P≤0.05) from 0.00% to 3% after the intervention. Farmers who earned over Ugx 1,600,000 (annually) from pig production increased (P≤0.05) from 3.3% to 13.2% after the intervention. As a result of the CARP+1 intervention, pig farmers were able to pay school fees for their children (63.3%) and purchase foodstuffs for their families (56.7%). Pig farmers (96.7%) were able to use the knowledge they got from the CARP+1 to improve the housing condition of pigs using deep floor on which indigenous microorganism liquid was applied, formulate cheap feed from local feedstuffs and disease control. In conclusion, the CARP+1 intervention significantly improved pig production and livelihoods of smallholder pig farmers in northern Uganda. Keywords: CARP+1 interventions, impact, livelihoods, smallholder pig production, Uganda