In the Eastern Cape, entrepreneurial rural farmers are being enabled to fund, start and run piggeries at a time when the province continues to battle overwhelming food insecurity, with one in five households classified as “severely food insecure”.

Executive for Rural Finance Services at the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA), Bongo Giyose, says food security is a top priority for the province. He notes that the agency has a focus on supporting pig farming because “pork is among the most affordable protein sources for South Africans and the world”.

A recent National Food and Nutrition Security Survey found that 20% of households in the province skip meals or go an entire day without eating. A household dietary diversity study conducted by the University of Fort Hare in 2020 showed that almost two-thirds of the province’s 7.2-million citizens consume a diet with minimal protein.

The Chicken Shortage

Recently, SA implemented a month-long ban on all poultry imports from Brazil due to an outbreak of bird flu. This affected the availability of affordable protein between May and June, limiting access to cost-effective chicken products and making pork production more urgent.

Georg Southey, manager of chicken import company Merlog Foods, previously stated publicly that it would “take at least six to eight weeks to... replenish supply chains”. He estimated that the ban had led to an estimated 100-million meals being lost per week during the period of stalled shipments.

Lean pork offers a viable alternative, as it is nutrient-dense and rich in protein, fats, vitamin B6, minerals and other micronutrients. High-quality fresh pork also contributes to muscle function and physical performance.

Support from the ECRDA

As part of its mandate, the ECRDA provides loans to emerging farmers to help drive job creation, stimulate rural economies and alleviate malnutrition. It also leverages relationships with national funders to broaden access to finance for smaller farmers.

Giyose says initial and “positive talks” have been held with commercial financial institutions.

In 2024, a Cape Peninsula University of Technology paper found that when citizens are involved in pig farming, it helps alleviate poverty. The study encouraged the province to provide commercial assistance to emerging farmers, stating that pig farming “provides a source of income to several households who depend on pig farming for their livelihood”.

The agency also provides infrastructure, medicine and feed. “We also link farmers with leaders in the sector to receive non-financial support,” says Giyose, referring to the network ECRDA has developed to assist start-up farmers.

Start-Up to Commercial Scale

Giyose adds that funding mechanisms are “specifically geared” to tackle barriers such as lack of access to inputs, markets and extension services. The Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform’s annual performance plan for 2024/25 states that the ECRDA will help reduce food insecurity and provide market access, as “all farmers supported by the department will be required to supply the ECRDA with their produce, at market price”.

Applicants undergo a screening process involving proposals and business plans, followed by due diligence and site visits to assess eligibility. “All applicants are assessed for affordability, viability and entrepreneurial ability to run the piggery,” says Giyose. Farmers also receive post-funding support to help ensure success.

Loan types and amounts vary, depending on the farmer’s affordability, project viability and the availability of funding from ECRDA and its partners. Funding is available for various agricultural operations, including grain and vegetable production.

Giyose adds that, as part of the ECRDA’s five-year strategy, it is focusing on commercialising agriculture. “This involves funding start-ups that will in future be uplifted to a commercial level. But we also look at existing piggeries to take them to a commercial level by increasing their capacity,” he explains.

Provincial Agriculture Engine

The annual performance plan notes that commercialising 100 farms will involve repurposing ECRDA “to serve as a trade and business aggregator for various commodities”. This will position the agency as a provincial rural development entity with expertise in engineering, infrastructure planning and investment attraction in agriculture.

“Despite its vast potential, the province is currently the second-lowest contributor to South Africa’s agricultural economy. This could change through an increased focus on the untapped potential in soybeans, maize, wool, beef, mohair, citrus, pigs, lucerne, sheep and goats,” says the department’s plan.

Research from the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation shows that pork remains a relatively small source of animal protein compared to beef and poultry. Data indicates there are about 550 registered pig producers in SA, with 120 of them responsible for 95% of the country’s total pork output in the formal market.

Yet, Agribook reports that SA still imports about 50 000 tons of pork annually from countries including Brazil, Canada and members of the European Union.

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