Chapter 335: Pig Farming
June 12, 1871.
East African Kingdom, First Town, Rufua Village.
A grim scene unfolds at the village entrance, accompanied by agonized shrieks piercing the air. Every resident crowds the gateway to watch this "tragedy," though some see it as a lively spectacle, especially those who haven't witnessed such a thing in years. Others, less accustomed, cry out in alarm.
In particular, the white villagers feel shocked—this is an unthinkable sight. Their own lower halves tighten reflexively, as if empathizing.
"My God—he claims to be a veterinarian, but I see a butcher," said Juris, a European settler, pointing to the oddly shaped "knife" in the man's hand. "It's shaped more like a flattened spoon than a real blade. Is this some Oriental wizardry, André?"
André, the local peace officer of Eastern origin, answered, "In your European logic, sure, he's a veterinarian if he's treating pigs. This is surgery, after all—I guess we can call it an operation. 'Castration' is a form of surgery, so that instrument is indeed a surgical knife of sorts."
Juris pressed, "But these pigs seem healthy—what's the point?"
André asked, "You've eaten pork?"
"Yes, of course!"
"That's good. Back in Germany, I've tried your pork. It's got a much stronger odor than what we have in the Far East, and it's impossible to rinse out, no matter how you soak it."
André had attended the Hechingen school, leaving for East Africa with only a bit of primary education. Still, he'd seen enough to form an opinion.
"So you folks in Europe don't usually castrate piglets?"
"Certainly not. Why would we? Is there some trick to it?"
André explained, "Once a piglet's castrated, it grows faster and its meat won't stink. If it isn't castrated, the pork can be rank."
Skeptical, Juris asked, "Is that really so?"
"What reason would I have to lie?" said André. "This is knowledge passed down by our elders. The meat of a castrated pig tastes better; your ancestors simply didn't discover it. Europe's pig meat is so pungent they rely heavily on spices to cover the smell."
European pig-raising rarely involves castration, making the pork quite strong-smelling. They rely on additional processing, typically marinating with spices. But in East Africa, while spices do grow, the total area is small, and most are exported. Ordinary people don't need them, in Ernst's view.
So how do they fix pungent pork? By employing professional pig-castrators to neuter piglets. By Western standards, such a "boar-gelder" is definitely a vet.
He appears more butcher than surgeon: a sturdy man stationed at the pen, with two villagers handing him a piglet. He seizes it with one hand, lifting the hind leg. Then, picking up a small blade from a bowl of alcohol for sterilization, he announces, "I split the road to life or death with both hands, severing roots of right or wrong with one slice," and sets to work.
In an instant—whoosh—he slices off the piglet's "berries." The two fleshy lumps drop into a waiting bowl. The piglet squeals, the vet stitches the wound a couple of times and dusts some powder on it. Surgery done, the bystanders watch closely.
"That's it. Any more piglets in need of gelding? Bring 'em quick, I need to head to the next village," said the "vet."
East Africa's veterinarian numbers are low, and fewer still specialize in castrating pigs. They typically travel an assigned route to perform these services.
"No more—there were only a few from the government's batch!"
The government distributes piglets free of charge to encourage meat consumption. It's also a way to use surplus grain production.
In East Africa, livestock is raised in two ways: ranching on the plains and small-scale farming in agricultural communities. Ranching is self-explanatory. Farming communities keep animals penned, feeding them mainly on fodder.
In the past, East Africa mostly penned cattle and horses for labor and transport. The north might export a small portion, but little reached local tables. Indeed, East Africa's ranching conditions aren't that great compared to other regions—they're just slightly better than Australia's. Europe and the Americas have extensive wet grasslands, but East Africa's are split between a rainy and dry season; during droughts, pastures shrink. So East Africa invests equally in ranching and farm-based livestock. Though farm-based operations are small and scattered, their total volume is no less.
Since farmland breeding typically depends on grain feed—like chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep, and pigs—pigs are especially useful for boosting meat output. A pig can be raised from birth to slaughter in about half a year. They breed fast, eat practically anything, and feed cheaply on leftover farm produce. East Africa plants many root crops to feed enslaved laborers, which take minimal effort yet yield heavily—perfect for feeding pigs.
European and Far Eastern diets aren't fundamentally different; both rely heavily on pork. Only peoples influenced by Arab culture avoid it. Germans, in particular, are enthusiastic about pork and use it in various sausages. But times being what they are, folks are just glad to eat. Usually, they just toss it in a pot and boil it.
Altogether, East Africa has introduced around 200,000 breeding pigs so far, focusing on Central Province, Coastal Province, Lake Province, and Southern Salzburg Province. Pigs are raised at the village level, not in massive operations, to reduce risk. Large-scale pig farms carry high disease hazards—especially in a penned environment.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10