One of the biggest challenges in a farrow-to-finish piggery is managing cash flow.

If you buy breeding stock at 10 weeks old, you will wait about 16 months before your first sale. 😟

All that time you keep paying for:

  • β–ͺ️ Feed
  • β–ͺ️ Labour
  • β–ͺ️ Vet care
  • β–ͺ️ Housing

...with no money coming in. That means you need much more cash than most farmers expect.

Bar chart of a farm's bank balance at the end of each month, December 2026 to March 2029. The balance is negative for 15 months, bottoms at UGX -28.9 million in March 2028, then climbs to UGX 61.9 million by March 2029.
Bank balance at the end of each month (UGX millions)

πŸ“‰ Look at the chart above.

This farm's bank balance stays below zero for 15 months and falls to UGX -28.9 million before the first pigs are sold. After sales start, it climbs to UGX 61.9 million. The business is profitable, but only if you survive the waiting period.

πŸ€” As a farmer, how do you plan to close this gap?

  1. 1️⃣
    Buy fatteners to fill the empty months

    Buy weaners, fatten them for 3–4 months in your empty pens and sell them. This brings money in while your breeding stock grows.

  2. 2️⃣
    Buy mature sows

    This shortens the wait the most, but good mature sows are hard to find and cost more.

  3. 3️⃣
    Buy gilts at 16–20 weeks instead of 10 weeks

    You pay more per pig, but you cut weeks off the waiting time.

  4. 4️⃣
    Sell weaners or growers to other farmers

    Get money in earlier, before your pigs reach market weight.

⚠️ Whichever option you choose, think about:

βœ… Quality. Healthy, well-bred pigs grow faster, eat less feed per kg gained and sell better. Buy from trusted farms and sell good-quality pigs to protect your name.
βœ… Returns. Compare what each option costs with what it brings in, and how fast the money comes back.
βœ… Biosecurity. Bringing in pigs from outside can bring in disease like African Swine Fever. Keep new pigs apart for 2 weeks.
πŸ’‘ Remember: Plan your cash flow before you start, not after the money runs out.

πŸ“ž Need help with a piggery plan, a cash flow forecast or feed formulation?

Talk to Fratel Farm Agribusiness (U) Limited 🌱