Cooperating countries: Burkina Faso and Austria

Coordinating institution: University Center of Ziniaré of Joseph KI-ZERBO University

Project coordinator: Dominique Ouédraogo

Partner institution: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Norbert Zongo University, Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Centre de Multiplication et des Animaux Performants (CMAP)

Project duration: 15.03.2024 - 14.03.2027

Pig meat (i.e., pork) is an important commodity in Burkina Faso, more so than in most other West African countries. Pigs are kept primarily by smallholders. African Swine Fever (ASF) is a dangerous viral disease, threatening the pig population. It is rampant, and while national regulations are in place, including culling of herds in case disease outbreaks, rather little has been achieved to contain ASF. Movement of pigs between herds, mostly for natural mating of sows by village boars, which is very frequent, contributes very substantially to the spread of ASF. Artificial insemination (AI) with fresh semen collected from breeding boars is technically easy. Sows show their readiness for mating and stand completely still when touched on the back. It is therefore possible for smallholder farmers to do AI themselves, provided the availability of fresh semen and re-usable catheters.

The objectives of this project are the participatory assessment of the willingness of smallholder pig farmers to implement AI in their herds, farmer training for AI and implementation of an AI system in two model regions in peri-urban areas near Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso. An additional objective is to investigate what is the best breed composition of pigs, in terms of proportions of “local” and “Modern European”, in smallholder environments. Note that “local” is somewhat misleading as all pigs in Sub-Saharan Africa descend from animals brought in by colonial powers, missionaries or along trade routes from Asia and Europe. Yet, these pigs have had the chance to adapt to local conditions over generations.

The collaborating institutions are two universities each from Burkina Faso and Austria, the governmental institution responsible for AI and the national research agency for agriculture and environment of Burkina Faso. It is this combination of institutions that will ensure successful implementation of an AI system in model regions, assuming smallholder farmers’ willingness to adopt this technology.