Experts warn of swine fever, worm threats to Tanzanian pig farming sector

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Senior Lecturer at Sokoine College of Agriculture, Dr Charles Lyimo, has said that despite the continued growth of the pork market, swine fever and worms have still been a major challenge.

Speaking while presenting a topic at the largest Pig Farmers’ Conference in Africa aimed at discussing challenges and solutions to pig farming, which began September 11 to 13, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, he said other challenges are nutrition and quality seeds for the animals.

“Among the diseases, the most troublesome is swine fever that affects pig farming. Some worms affect them, and when the farmer adheres to the conditions, his meat will be safe.

He added, “Swine fever is a global pandemic. This virus has the effect of a rapid outbreak. We are educating farmers on how to control it by following the control conditions from the farm to the consumer.

He said the conditions for controlling pig diseases are to keep them in a clean pen, feed them clean food as advised by experts, and provide clean water.

“Some leave them to roam around and find their own food, this is not good for them to grow well. They must have a pen and have a waiter with clothes and boots to serve them while they are clean. They will not be able to bring diseases. It is important to prevent visitors from entering the animals until they are clean,” he stressed.

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He said they prohibit the feeding of leftovers because many hotels sell pork, so they will mix it up, and if given to pigs, it is easy to get diseases.

Earlier, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Agness Meena, said the pig market is becoming a major source of protein in Tanzania, where the number of pigs in the country is 4.1 million.

“It can be bigger, and the sector is growing and helps provide jobs. The biggest challenge is swine fever. There is a problem with food costs and markets. They will take on the challenge to improve and eliminate this disease. The meeting will help our farmers a lot, and they will have opportunities,” he stressed.

For her part, the Chairperson of the Tanzania Pig Farmers Association (TAPIFA), Doreen Maro, said that the National Pig Farming Conference is the first to be held in the Eastern region, and Tanzania has been given the honor of organizing it.

“The pig sector has been facing several challenges, such as the dangerous disease swine fever, lack of quality seeds, lack of reliable markets, capital and infrastructure, so we expect the conference to provide an opportunity for in-depth discussions on these challenges,” said Maro.

For the coordinator of the conference, Dr. Azori Mbuma from the Thrishool Institute, said that they have continued to dedicate themselves to producing pig feed to grow, and the pig sector is growing and the company has decided to sponsor the conference to facilitate a discussion on solving the challenges.

“We have brought products at a discounted price for pigs, which will be mixed with foods such as maize, mashudo, and others,” he explained.