Pig Farming in Kenya: Breeds, Housing, Feeding, Costs and Where to Sell

Updated 19 October 2026

Pig farming is one of the faster ways to turn feed into income in Kenya. A sow can farrow twice a year, piglets reach market weight in months rather than years, and there is a large, organised buyer in Farmer’s Choice. The flip side is that feed is expensive and African swine fever can wipe out a herd, so the farms that make money are the ones that plan their breeding, feeding, biosecurity and market before they buy the first gilt.

This guide covers the market, the breeds, the breeding cycle, housing, feeding, disease control and exactly how selling to Farmer’s Choice works, using figures from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Farmer’s Choice and recent industry reporting.

In this guide

1. The Pig Market in Kenya
2. Best Pig Breeds for Kenyan Farmers
3. The Breeding Cycle
4. Housing
5. Feeding
6. Disease Control and African Swine Fever
7. How to Sell Pigs to Farmer's Choice
8. Working Out If It Pays
9. Frequently asked questions

The Pig Market in Kenya

Kenya produced 40,055 tonnes of pork from 840,160 pigs in 2023, worth about KSh 19.5 billion, according to industry figures reported in April 2026. Farmer’s Choice, the dominant processor, controls an estimated 85% to 90% of the processed pork market, works with more than 5,000 farmers and buys about 80% of its pigs from independent suppliers. It processes an average of about 500 pigs a day, and the same reporting projects demand rising to around 1,000 pigs a day.

In April 2026 Farmer’s Choice and the State Department for Livestock Development signed a framework agreement under the National Pig Value Chain Development Strategy for 2025 to 2029. Under the plan, the company is to train and register 40,000 young people and women in pig farming within 12 months. Livestock Principal Secretary Jonathan Mueke named African swine fever outbreaks, high feed costs and limited cold chain and processing capacity as the main problems holding the industry back.

Best Pig Breeds for Kenyan Farmers

KALRO recommends the Large White, Landrace, Hampshire and Duroc, and notes that Large White and Landrace crosses are common and make good breeding sows. Farmer’s Choice promotes Large White, Landrace, Duroc and Camborough genetics.

• Large White: large litters and good mothering, the backbone of most commercial herds.
• Landrace: long-bodied with good litter size, usually crossed with the Large White.
• Duroc and Hampshire: hardy, fast-growing breeds often used as terminal sires for meatier market pigs.

Buy breeding stock from a known breeder, not the open market, so you know its health history. Farmer’s Choice sells F1 gilts and offers artificial insemination (AI) semen, which saves you keeping a boar and reduces the risk of disease spread by communal boars.

The Breeding Cycle

• Pregnancy: about 114 days after mating, give or take 3 days (roughly three months, three weeks and three days).
• Weaning: KALRO advises weaning at 8 weeks (56 days), when piglets weigh about 14 to 20 kg. Move the sow out and leave the piglets in the pen they know.
• Back to service: moving a weaned sow from the farrowing pen to the service pen changes her routine and brings most sows on heat together. Farmer’s Choice notes that sows are most fertile in cooler months.
• Market age: KALRO puts market pigs at 4 to 6 months and 65 to 100 kg. Farmer’s Choice production targets aim for 90 kg in 210 to 230 days, with daily gains of 600 to 800 grams.

With good management, 10 sows can produce around 160 piglets a year, according to the 2026 industry reporting. Keep a record card for every sow showing mating, farrowing and weaning dates, litter size and losses. Records are what tell you which sows to keep and which to cull.

Housing

A pig unit does not need to be fancy, but it must keep pigs dry, cool, separated by stage and protected from outside pigs. Plan separate pens for the boar (if you keep one), dry and in-pig sows, farrowing sows with their litters, weaners and growers. Good practice is:

• Concrete floors that slope towards a drain, so pens can be washed and dry quickly.
• A roof and walls that give shade and air flow without draughts on young piglets.
• Farrowing pens with guard rails and a warm creep area, so the sow does not lie on her piglets.
• Clean drinking water available at all times.
• A fence around the unit, a single entrance with a footbath of disinfectant, and no visitors in the pens.

Ask your county livestock officer or a Farmer’s Choice extension officer to look at your plans before you build.

Feeding

Feed is the largest running cost on any pig farm, which is why the Principal Secretary listed it among the industry’s biggest problems. Feed by stage, using a commercial ration or a formula from a qualified nutritionist: creep feed for suckling piglets, then weaner, grower and finisher rations, with separate sow and boar feeds. Underfeeding slows growth and fertility, while overfeeding finishers adds fat that drops your carcass grade.

Do not feed raw kitchen or hotel waste. Uncooked pork scraps are one of the main ways African swine fever reaches a farm. If you use crop by-products to cut costs, balance the diet so pigs still get enough protein.

Disease Control and African Swine Fever

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral disease with no cure and no approved vaccine in Kenya, and it kills most infected pigs. It spreads through contact with sick pigs and through contaminated pork, feed, vehicles, clothing and equipment. Strict biosecurity is the only protection:

• Keep your pigs confined and keep free-roaming pigs and wild pigs away from them.
• Keep newly bought pigs in a separate pen for a period agreed with your vet before mixing them with the herd.
• Disinfect boots, tools and vehicles at the gate.
• Report sudden deaths, high fever or reddish skin patches to the county veterinary officer at once, and do not sell or move sick pigs.

For routine health, work out a plan with a vet for vaccination, deworming and piglet care. Farmer’s Choice stocks vaccines (EPL and ColiClos), the Staldren disinfectant and offers free extension services covering record keeping and performance monitoring.

How to Sell Pigs to Farmer’s Choice

Farmer’s Choice publishes the steps a farmer follows to deliver pigs:

1. A Farmer’s Choice extension officer visits the farm and reports on the health and weights of the pigs.
2. The officer tells the pig procurement office that you intend to deliver.
3. The procurement office issues a Local Purchase Order (LPO) and a health certificate for a veterinary officer to fill in.
4. The company’s vet office issues a No Objection Permit.
5. You take the LPO, health certificate and No Objection Permit to the county veterinary office.
6. The county veterinary officer visits, confirms the pigs are free of disease, fills in the veterinary certificate and writes a movement permit.
7. You deliver the pigs with the original movement permit and veterinary health certificate. Documents are checked at the gate.
8. Accepted pigs are numbered and slaughtered. Once a carcass is passed fit for human consumption it is weighed and payment is processed.

Farmer’s Choice pays by grade, from Class 1 to Class 10, based on fat depth and cold dressed weight, and it does not accept intact males. Castrate any boar piglets you plan to sell for meat. Industry reporting in April 2026 put best grade carcasses of 60 to 75 kg at about KSh 253 per kg and second grade at about KSh 247 per kg. At those rates a 70 kg best grade carcass would earn about KSh 17,710, and a second grade carcass of the same weight about KSh 17,290. Prices change, so confirm the current rate before you plan a batch.

For transport, the company advises that pigs travel with the original documents, in a ventilated vehicle with a canopy (not polythene), on non-slip bedding such as straw or wood shavings, without overcrowding, and that they are not fed for 6 hours before loading but are given water throughout. Farmer’s Choice pig farming contacts are Dr G.M. Wamai on 0728 522 676, Nzuki on 0721 914 529 and Monari on 0722 983 516; its head office is in Kahawa West, off Kamiti Road, Nairobi.

Local butcheries, pork joints and hotels are the other main outlet, especially for farmers far from Nairobi. Prices and terms vary from buyer to buyer, so weigh your pigs and compare offers before you sell.

Working Out If It Pays

Before you start, list every cost for one batch of pigs from birth to sale: breeding stock or AI, feed per stage, vet care and vaccines, labour, water, power, housing depreciation and transport. Then estimate income from the number of pigs you expect to sell and a realistic carcass grade. Our business profit calculators can help you structure the numbers, and if you need capital, compare bank and SACCO loans and check repayments with the loan affordability calculator. The legal requirements for starting a business apply to farm businesses too.

Looking at other farm enterprises? See our guides to Irish potato farming in Kenya and hydroponic farming companies.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to raise a pig for market in Kenya?

KALRO puts market age at 4 to 6 months, at 65 to 100 kg. Farmer’s Choice production targets aim for about 90 kg in 210 to 230 days.

How much does Farmer’s Choice pay per kg of pork?

Payment is by carcass grade. In April 2026, best grade 60 to 75 kg carcasses were reported at about KSh 253 per kg and second grade at about KSh 247 per kg. Confirm the current price with Farmer’s Choice before selling.

Which pig breed is best in Kenya?

Large White and Landrace, and crosses of the two, make the best breeding sows. Duroc and Hampshire are common sires for fast-growing market pigs.

Is there a vaccine for African swine fever?

No approved vaccine or cure is available in Kenya. Prevention depends on biosecurity: confining pigs, not feeding raw swill and controlling visitors and vehicles.

Does Farmer’s Choice buy boars?

No. Farmer’s Choice does not accept intact males, so castrate male piglets meant for slaughter.