PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PRACTICES OF BACK YARD SWINE RAISERS IN MAASIM, SARANGANI PROVINCE

This study was conducted to determine the socio-demographic profile, farm management practices, marketing practices, the profitability and the problems besetting the backyard swine raisers in Maasim, Sarangani Province. Slovin's method was used in solving the number of respondents. Purposive sampling was used in selecting the barangays and ratio-and-proportion were employed in determining the number of raisers to be interviewed per barangay. A structured survey questionnaire was utilized and data was analysed using descriptive statistics.

The result shows that majority of swine raisers are female and married. The average age or raisers is 44 years old and a mean of 12 years' experience in swine production. They use a close confinement as their housing system (65.9%), with an average of 19.83sqm pen area. Raisers uses both commercial and branded feeds. There are 63.68% feed their hogs thrice a day with a 2.27kg average of feeds. Only 36.8% raisers vaccinate their hogs with Hog Cholera. Most common symptom and disease affecting hogs is diarrhea (201). Medications and treatments are mainly herbal (78), and antibiotic injectable (57). An average of 8 hogs is produced annually with an average of 58.25 kilograms liveweight. Raisers market their hogs without agent (88.8%) within the municipality (75.8%). An average of Php 4,078.00 is needed by the raisers as an initial capital and 95.1% acquire this amount from their savings. Majority of raisers have a low level of debt (69.5%) and 90.6% consider swine production as profitable, but cost and return analysis shows that there is -81% Return on Investment. The common problems they encountered are lack of financial resources (159), and Disease Occurrence (96).

It is recommended that the government may be strengthen through wider extension work, regulating the prices of feeds, offering programs regarding installation of water system, and having livelihood projects to finance more potential raisers. The researcher also recommends the raisers to consider other forms of disposal such as slaughtering or selling meat carcass, and encourages future researchers for further study regarding the topic.