the final pot-bellied pig?

In the latest set of maps of livestock breeds in Vietnam issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the greasy pig breed (also known as wrinkled pig) is classified as extinct.

However, during a survey in a poor sea area in Thanh Hoa by Hong Duc University scientists, pigs were found and kept by the poorest households in the region.

Fatty pig is being kept at the Breeding Institute (Photo: TT).

Why is a breed of pig with delicious and easy-to-raise meat nearly become extinct?Engineer Nguyen Nhu Cuong, head of Hong Duc University's science department, said the disadvantage of this breed is that it is less fat (the lean rate is only 36% while fat accounts for 54%).The yearly pig raising only reached 40-50kg, while the six month pig breeds reached 70-80kg.

It has been more than ten years since he found the pig breed again. On the weekends, the engineer, Cuong, again filtered the pile for more than 30km and went to Hoang Hoa commune to visit pigs.Mr. Cuong said: from the time of finding the dead pigs, the investigation plan and conservation of pig breeds have been carried out.But convincing more people to adopt this animal is a difficult problem because of the economy.

If continuously from 2001-2003, there are 50 female pigs and four boars are preserved in this area, there are only 30 female pigs and four male pigs so far.During the past 10 years, engineer Cuong has knocked on many businesses, farms . Some places have received breeds and tried . 'But for a while, they reported to stop because pigs grow slowly and uneconomically'.So this animal is still preserved mainly based on poor households who are raised under the support of the State.

The pig breeder is supported to breed, one pig will be supported 300,000 VND, the female piglets will be more than two prices.But finding the exit for the pig breed is also a very difficult job, Cuong said, the pig group is still looking for addresses of businesses interested in traditional pork that are delicious and clean (no antibiotic).

But hope is only hope.At present, the State has to pay a budget of 30 million VND each year and receive nothing but the meaning of preserving a precious genetic fund.

Talking with Tuoi Tre , the old engineer was still uneasy: until sometime if the State did not carry on, this animal might be really extinct.He confided: the boar is inherently a precious genetic resource, once they are lost, no matter how far the technology develops, it is difficult to create funny and funny animals with the face. wrinkles, short snout and sagging almost sweep the soil like that .

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