In 2017 and 2018, the selling price of pigs dropped to a record low level, which caused many livestock households to experience big financial losses and to stop raising pigs. However, there were a few households still determined to raise pigs in moderation with the expectation that pig prices would soon stabilize.
Unfortunately, things turned from bad to worse in the beginning of 2019. A series of pig diseases, including foot and mouth, blue ear, and African pig cholera, have hit one after the other, destroying the pig raising industry for the whole country.
When we visited some households who had borrowed money from YWAM Mercy’s biogas project, we realized that the general direction for most households was to leave the pens empty, or to switch to raising other livestock, such as buffaloes, cows, chickens, or ducks.
YWAM Mercy held meetings with local leaders to assess the situation to seek out appropriate solutions. In June 2019, meetings were held in two biogas project communities, and the decision was made to halt the provision of loans to build biogas for the moment, and to convert the loan capital for use with other income generating activities according to the opportunities available in each locality.
YWAM Mercy and local leaders still believe that in the future, when the pig industry is restored, biogas will continue to be one of the most effective solutions to address the pollution caused by livestock waste.
