VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS OF PIG PRODUCTION IN GHANA: A REVIEW

Abstract

Value chain (VC) has been a useful concept in development of economies of which agriculture is a major sector, especially in Africa. The objective of the review was to explore the research works in the pig industry with regards to value chain actors from production to consumption and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, encompassing Ghana pig production. The study covered Ghana pig industry, with much consideration of the northern and the southern divides. Secondary data was used and this comprised information from publications, student theses, websites, reports, online magazines, among others. The research design was mainly qualitative, with some quantitative inclusion. It was observed from the review that the Ghana pig value chain actors were not much different from many value chain actors in other economies. That is, it encompassed input suppliers, producers, processors, distributers, and consumers. The input suppliers include feed suppliers, drug and veterinary service providers, and breeding stock suppliers. These ensured that pig producers accessed necessary inputs. Their function in the chain was to ensure that pigs were managed to reach market weight. After producers, processors were the next to add value through slaughtering, packaging, etc. Distributers were the fourth actors in the chain. The distributers were retailers or wholesalers who transported pigs from point of processing to point of sales for consumption. All actors of the pig value chain were contributive; however, it is the three within the chain, namely producers, processors and distributers that added substantial amount of value along the chain. Some strengths of the chain include available good and disease resistant breeds from breeding stations and financial credit to pig farmers. More so, there were weaknesses including health misconception of pig products, high prevalence of infectious diseases, lack of highly decentralized breeding stations, etc. Opportunities include support from church organizations and gradual improvement of small and medium scale enterprises. With regards to threats, the review revealed public misinformation by media affects pig product patronage; negative effect of ethnic conflicts; poor pig farm waste management; among others. The Ghana pig value chain, according to the review, is also characterized by youthful age bracket of 20-50 years which gives the pig industry a good future prospect for youth employment. There is also increasing women empowerment or gender equality (with women pig producers nearly double the number of men in some pig production hubs). Welfare concerns are getting better as more producers and consumers continue to appreciate the associated benefits. The study recommends chain actor formalization, sustenance of Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) programme and further research at the district levels to uncover deeper interactions of actors especially across the Ghana pig value chain.