Pig Micro-Credit

CWEF began a pig micro-credit program in Lincang prefecture, Shuang Jiang county in November 2003. It has grown to include 3 administrative village areas. Loans ranging from 1000-3000 RMB are provided to approved applicants. The applicants’ annual incomes range from 100 RMB/yr to 1200 RMB/yr. The loan is used by the villagers to build sanitary pig pens. These pig pens are long-term investments which provide clean environments for raising pigs. After proper pig pens are built the villagers then use the remaining loan amount to purchase pigs and raise them for profit. In addition to the loan, the micro-credit program also organizes animal husbandry training to improve the success of the villagers in raising healthy pigs. The first loan cycle is now completing and CWEF is evaluating the program and revising it to prepare for a new loan cycle in 2007.