Economic Dimensions of the Tanea Livestock Facility of the Government of Kiribati

This document considers the feasibility of one of the components of the Kiribati Livestock Production Concept to support Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security 2013 -€“ 2015 (Nonga 2013).

Nonga (2013) proposes that the four components of the Agriculture & Livestock Department (ALD) Tanaea Breeding facility could be improved to enable the community of Kiribati to have enhanced access to food resources in the future. Nonga (2013) suggests that a regeneration project could be conducted over two interdependent steps:

• Step 1: Renovate and/or extend the current centre.

A) Repair/rebuild the chicken, feed and water sections.
B) Rebuild and extend the pig section.

• Step 2: Increase the production of pig stock in the facility.

A preliminary feasibility assessment of enhancing the ALD livestock facility and extending production to pigs, in addition to the current production of chickens is conducted, using a cost benefit framework. The costs of enhancing the pig facility and extending to pig production are compared to the benefits these activities would be expected to generate in order to assess whether or not they are worthwhile.

This analysis evaluates the project from two perspectives: the Kiribati national perspective and the development donor perspective.

National Perspective

In order to increase food security for Kiribati, using the current assets (land and expertise) offered by the Government-owned Tanaea livestock facility (run by the ALD), the facility must determine their optimal way forward; whether they focus on producing chicken produce only or whether they expand to also produce pig stock. The increased demand for chickens has already prompted the facility to increase the production of chicken and eggs in recent years. This analysis focuses on analysing the costs and benefits associated with expanding also to pig production.

Optimal method of producing pigs if the facility expands to produce chickens and pigs

Section 4 looks at how the facility would undertake the pig expansion suggested in Step 2 of the project: it analyses the least costly way to initially increase the number of pigs, the least costly way to replace pig stock over time, and also the optimal method to produce pigs (to use Artificial insemination (AI) or keep boars in the facility. The analysis shows that, if there was to be breeding of pigs at Tanaea, it should employ the following methods:

• Boars should be kept at the facility for breeding purposes rather than using AI.
• The initial increase in pig stock should be done by importation.
• The replacement of pig stock over time should be done by importation1.