A computerized management information system for Dona Crisanta Piggery Farm

For the next five to ten years, the Philippines will be experiencing an economic crisis which will greatly affect the agricultural sector of the country. The swine industry being a major part of this sector, should gear its operations towards the upliftment of the economic condition of the country. Moreover, agribusiness is given much emphasis today due to the belief that it is a critical factor in positioning the country back to economic stability. During the past years, the swine industry has been keeping a low profile in terms of profit-earnings for the country. Some of the reasons may be due to the old-fashioned methods implemented by the average farmer who comprises a majority of the entrepreneurship. Particularly now that there is a shortage on feeds which are imported, plus the high cost of local feeds, the farmer is finding it hard to look for substitutes considering that he wants to come up with hogs of good quality. Sometimes, the farmer is forced to use poor quality substitutes. Another setback is the inaccuracy of information concerning the inventory of the hogs. In view of this, a particular piggery needs accurate, timely and efficient information to make it good in the swine industry. For a piggery with around five thousand heads and that which comprises a part of the swine market, a computerized management information system is recommended. In terms of breeding performance, management can avail of informations on the hogs survival/mortality rate which can assist it in managerial decision-making. Management can also decide on the breeding schedule, this is, how many sows to be bred on a certain period, so that the produce will be enough for marketing purposes and incurring profit particularly during the peak season. A sow that can produce a litter of eight to twelve pigs per farrowing is an advantage to the swine enterprise. This is so because it fills the gap between protein food production and the rate of population increase. Thus, it creates a demanding market for swine. The inventory system helps management keep track of the flow of hogs in the farm which is essential in the designing of strategies in terms of incurring profits. Likewise, the consumption of feeds should be controlled so as not to eat up a bulk of the farm\u27s budget. This can be more fully realized through the implementation of a feed formulation system which intends to obtain an optimal solution such that it will minimize cost or maximize profit and at the same time meet certain requirements such as producing a palatable, nutritious and cheap feed formula for the hogs. The following pages explains in more detailed informations the design of a computerized management information system for a piggery farm