Pig farming is important for income generation and nutrition for a large population in Uganda, with 4.2 million pigs being kept in 2017. However, future projections indicate that domestic pork production will not be sufficient to meet the increasing demand. This situation is likely to be aggravated by climate-induced heat stress. Analysis of historical climate data and simulation of future periods predicts a gradual shift towards more severe heat stress conditions experienced in most parts of the country. Animals experience heat stress when subjected to a series of conditions where the animal’s body is overheating. Pigs are more vulnerable to heat stress because they do not have functioning sweat glands. Heat stress distorts the pigs’ feed intake, growth and reproduction and makes pigs vulnerable to diseases. This, in turn, brings economic losses. In Uganda, smallholder pig production systems -which are the majority- are transitioning towards- market-oriented models, Details
