Abstract

DIAZ-RODRIGUEZ, Gina J. et al. Non-technified management of pigs (Sus scrofa) in the Andean, Amazon, and Orinoquia regions of Colombia. Cienc. Tecnol. Agropecuaria [online]. 2021, vol.22, n.1, e1902.  Epub Jan 01, 2021. ISSN 0122-8706.  https://doi.org/10.21930/rcta.vol22_num1_art:1902.

The swine industry in Colombia has grown in recent years. A percentage of this industry occurs under technified conditions. However, in several regions of the country, there are small artisanal pig production systems where management exhibits a gradient in animal husbandry from confinement to complete freedom with different health implications. The aim of this study was to identify the most common non- technified forms of pig farming in several regions of Colombia and to explore their implications. Data collection was carried out in the flooded savannas of the Colombian Orinoquia region and through the Classical Swine Fever (CSF) eradication zone, as well as in the Guaviare department. The information was gathered from semi-structured interviews with public officials and local settlers involved in pig farming. The work was carried out in August 2017 and from June to October 2019. In total, the work included a distance of 8,486.4 km along 151 municipalities of the country, and 262 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The following four types of pig farming management were identified: confined, outdoor enclosure, free breeding, and feral or unmanaged breeding. Each management type reflects differences in the need for care, economic investment, escape risk, or pig release frequency, facilitating feral behavior. Furthermore, information on health aspects, food, reproduction, and institutional presence in each municipality as well as on current problems faced by producers for slaughtering and commercialization of pigs was obtained.

Keywords : animal production; confined breeding; feral pigs; free breeding; outdoor enclosure.

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