The Meishan () is a breed of
domestic pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...
named for the
Meishan
Meishan (; Sichuanese Pinyin: Mi2san1; local pronunciation: ; ), formerly known as Meizhou () or Qingzhou (), is a prefecture-level city with 2,955,219 inhabitants as of 2020 census whom 1,232,648 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made of th ...
,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
Province, China. It is a sub-group of the
Taihu pig
The Taihu pig () is a domestic breed of pig from the narrow region of mild sub-tropical climate around the Lake Tai region in the lower Yangtze River Valley of China. The breed is a large one, black in colour with a heavily wrinkled face. It has ...
and is a small to medium-sized (275-400 lbs) breed with large drooping ears, and wrinkled black skin. Meishan Pigs are extremely docile and renowned for their tender and flavorful red meat pork.
Native to Southern China, the breed is best known for its large litters of 15-22 piglets. Due to its fecundity, it was imported to the United States in 1989 by the
USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...
.
All US research on the Meishan pigs was terminated in 2016 and the remaining pigs were dispersed to US farmers. In 2018 the Meishan Pig was declared critically endangered worldwide by the
Livestock Conservancy
The Livestock Conservancy, formerly known as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and prior to that, the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting rare breeds, also known as "h ...
.
Today the Meishan Pig is the focus of a major conservation effort involving the Livestock Conservancy and the American Meishan Breeders Association.
The number of breeders in the US is rising primarily due to the Meishan Pigs adaptability to small holder farms.
See also
*
List of domestic pig breeds
There are hundreds of breeds of the domestic pig ''(Sus scrofa domesticus)''.
List with classification and standards
See also
* List of sheep breeds
* List of goat breeds
* List of cattle breeds
* Lists of domestic animal breeds
Reference ...
*
Okja
''Okja'' (; ) is a 2017 science-fantasy action-adventure film directed by Bong Joon-ho with a screenplay by Bong and Jon Ronson from a story by Bong. The film is about a young girl who raised a genetically modified "super pig" (the titular Okja) ...
References
Pig breeds originating in China
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