Despite unstable conditions, travel and trade restrictions, and runaway inflation, our Pig Farm Project has achieved significant success due to Shanta’s long-term village partnerships and emphasis on training. This success can also be attributed to the project’s significant income generation and suitability to the local climate and culture. The villages’ strong leadership has enabled them to run and adapt the project independently, with additional remote coaching from the project staff.
According to the budget to actual calculations of these pig farmers, the average profit per farmer is $428, and the average income per farmer is $658. Twelve of our farmers are able to breed pigs on a large scale, and they earned $1,553 as an average profit per person within the seven months from January to July 2023.
The Pig Farm Project has also been successful because villager interest in raising livestock increased when market demand rose and selling prices surged, despite the limitations and challenges caused by the military coup.
Pig farm committees are a powerful development force in most of our villages; they organize all farmers and provide primary veterinary care and peer support. When the project staff’s supervision is limited due to security concerns, the organizational skills of pig farm committees become critical.
As a result of the travel shutdowns and escalating insecurity in the region, Shanta was left with no choice but to suspend the ongoing projects in Pauk township. This unfortunate decision was made due to the impossibility of transferring support packages and cash to the area, which had unfortunately turned into a war zone. The situation was dire, and the safety of all involved was of paramount concern. That said, the pig farming projects in Pauk are still going strong, and our staff uses cell phones to stay in contact with the project participants.
