What is a local pig breed? What are the characteristics? What are the excellent local pig breeds in China?

Local pig breeds refer to pig breeds that have been cultivated by the masses for a long time and have good adaptability to local climate, feed and feeding management conditions.

The common characteristics of local pig breeds in China are strong adaptability, high fertility, good meat quality, gentle temperament and large amount of roughage. But the growth rate is slow, the slaughter rate is low, and the carcass lean meat is less. China has a vast territory, complex terrain, diverse climate, a long history of raising pigs and a large number of local breeding pigs. According to China Pig Breeds (1986), there are 48 local pig breeds in China. Among them, the excellent local pig breeds with large population, wide distribution and great influence mainly include Dongbei Min pig, Taihu pig, Jinhua pig, Rongchang pig, Neijiang pig, Bamei pig and Xiang pig, each with its own characteristics. If these local excellent breeds are used as female parents and imported excellent lean pig breeds are used as male parents, selective hybridization will receive good results.