Edem began its operations with 50 sows and its own piglet production. Over time, the farm achieved strong productivity indicators, but, according to Chaklosh, the lack of its own finishing facilities limited further growth.
“Building a finishing complex requires major investment, time, and a completely different business approach. So we looked for a way to grow effectively without such expenses,” she explained.
The turning point came when the farm participated in the USAID Agro grant program, through which Chaklosh learned about the contract pig fattening model.
The essence of the model is that an integrator farm provides piglets weighing about 20 kg to its partners — small or medium-sized farms — for fattening over a period of 3–3.5 months.
At the same time, the integrator farm ensures full technological support:
- supplies the piglets,
- delivers feed, veterinary products, and disinfectants,
- monitors the fattening process,
- and finally takes care of the marketing and sale of the pigs.
Partner farms, in turn, receive payment for their fattening work without taking on the risks associated with sales or market fluctuations.
“I had heard about contract fattening before but never dared to try it. Thanks to the USAID Agro grant, we received equipment that boosted our farm’s productivity. According to the program’s requirements, we had to expand by 100 sows, increase grain processing to 4,000 tons, hire two more employees, and sign contracts with small and medium-sized partners,” Chaklosh said.
Today, Eden Farm maintains over 500 sows and is building a new reproduction facility for an additional 550. The grant also helped the enterprise acquire modern equipment for the sow, farrowing, and nursery units, as well as a manure management system, a slurry pump for field application, and a new feed mill, which has increased feed production capacity.
According to Chaklosh, the contract fattening model can become a viable solution for small and medium-sized farms that lack the funds to establish a full production cycle. The model enables integrator farms to optimize production costs, while partner farms gain a stable income and valuable experience in pig farming.
This model has already proven its economic efficiency and resilience, especially in wartime conditions, when agricultural enterprises are seeking safer and more flexible forms of cooperation within the sector.