Mukota is a breed of indigenous,

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 ...

found primarily in

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

. It is also known as the Rhodesian Indigenous or Zimbabwe Indigenous pig. Mukota pigs are black, hardy in the tropics, resistant to disease and poor nutrition, and require little water (6 liters per week). They fall into two broad classes. One is short and fat, with a short snout resembling that of the Chinese Lard pig. The other resembles the Windsnyer (Wind cutter), with long snout and razorback. Mukotas are found primarily in

(with an estimated 70,000 pigs), but also in

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

and

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

. They are believed to have been introduced in the 17th century

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

trade (Bonsma and Joubert, 1952), and are named after the Mukota region of northeastern Zimbabwe, where they were first studied in detail. Reproduction follows an annual rhythm with peak farrowing in the early rainy season (October/November). Age at first litter ranges from 6 to 12 months, with mean litter size between 6.5 and 7.5. Carcass yield is about 30% less than from the exotic

Large White pig The Large White is a British breed of domestic pig. It derives from the old Yorkshire breed from the county of Yorkshire, in northern England. History First recognised in 1868, the breed is the progenitor of the American Yorkshire in North ...

, but is considered tasty and "sweet". These indigenous Zimbabwean pigs show moderate parasite tolerance, greater than the imported or western varieties. Zimbabwe's indigenous Mukota pigs are known to be less prone than imported varieties to internal parasites within commercial agriculture. A study evaluating parasite prevalence, by veterinarians from South Africa's Fort Hare University and the University of Zimbabwe, found moderate parasite infection in pigs from ten communal regions in Zimbabwe's Chirumhanzu district. (Sub-Saharan Africa gateway, Science and Development Network website)

References

* Bonsma, F.N. and D.M. Joubert, ''Fmg. S. Afr.'' 27: 167–170. 1952. * Holness, D.H., ''The tropical agriculturalist - PIGS'', CTA/Macmillan, London, 1995. pp 16–48. * Mason, I.L., ''A World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties'', Fourth Edition. C.A.B International, 1996. 273 pp.
Oklahoma State University

Pig breeds originating in Zimbabwe {{Pig-stub