Erick Nkumburimana, a farmer who now practises pig-rearing, told The New Times that he started raising pigs after realising the potential profits in the business.

"I shifted to pigs and I am doing great in terms of income. It sounds funny that I switched from black and white cows to black and white pigs, but the bottom line is the profits accrued."

Claude Ndahayo, another farmer, said that he set up a farm on three hectares of land initially meant for growing crops.

"With a high demand for pork, my income has improved steadily. A sizeable pig is sold at Rwf100,000 and a kilogram of pork goes up to Rwf 2,500," he said.

The district Mayor, Neheme Uwimana, said that the farmers’ choices are respected provided it does not conflict with the general agricultural output.

"They can keep pigs and I don’t see anything wrong with it…some have actually made a good fortune out of it. Cattle keeping reached satisfying levels and it will continue, but diversifying production is a positive sign of a farmers’ maturity," he said.