To strengthen local pork production and address ongoing challenges in the industry, Kumoi Farms has received a Farmer/Rancher Grant from the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. This funding will support an innovative research and outreach project aimed at improving swine production across the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
At the heart of the project is a study comparing piglet births during the dry and rainy seasons — an effort to better understand how environmental conditions affect survival rates. Many local farmers and ranchers struggle with issues such as temperature stress in sows and piglet crushing. To tackle these challenges, the project will test a farrowing prototype: a temporary individual farrowing system featuring an 8-foot-wide metal protective barrier.
Designed by Kumoi Farms, the prototype explores an alternative way of nursing, allowing piglets to move freely while safely nursing from their mother. The success of this Kumoi Farms prototype could have broader implications, potentially leading to its consideration for use by the United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service program recipients seeking effective solutions to improve piglet survivability on farms.
Kumoi Farms was also recognized for its high quality and potential impact, earning an “Exceptional” rating from the Western SARE review panel. Only 12% of proposals submitted in the western region achieved this top ranking, signaling strong support for impactful advancements in pig farming in the Marianas.
“Our biggest challenge with production is usually during the rainy season. When we get a litter of 12 to 14 piglets, the survival rate is only four to six piglets because of the colder temperatures,” explained Simon Deleon Guerrero of Kumoi Farms. “This isn't something that we can guide ourselves with through textbook material because mainland practices do not conduct research based on our CNMI climate."
“I’m thrilled that Kumoi Farms secured this grant from such a prestigious national program,” said Dr. Ares. “After a few quiet years, I am elated to see Western SARE supporting projects in the CNMI once again. This initiative is not only timely — it has the potential to significantly enhance sustainable pork production and benefit many local farmers. We're also thankful to Solly Takai, NRCS Soil Conservationist, who will serve as the project's technical advisor. The PROA Tribe remains committed to supporting our farmers and building a better future together.”
In addition to on-farm research, the project will feature a strong community outreach component, including farmer-to-farmer demonstrations, farm tours, factsheets, videos, presentations, and a public field day.
“We look forward to the dissemination of the results of this project to current and future farmers and commend Kumoi Farms owners Simon and Crystal for taking the initiative to apply for these funds. Dr. Ares provided valuable input on the Kumoi’s proposal prior to submission,” stated Interim Dean Patty Coleman of NMC-CREES.
For more information about Kumoi Farms’ Sustaining Pig Farming in the Marianas Initiative, contact Simon Deleon Guerrero at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about the Western SARE and its grant opportunities, visit westernsare.org/.