Yushan Black Pig

Yushan Black Pig

The Yushan Black Pig is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　The Yushan Black Pig is a specialty of Yushan County, Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province. It is an outstanding local breed in Yushan County, known for its thin skin, tender meat, delicious flavor, and high slaughter rate.

　　Among the many distinctive agricultural products of Yushan County, the black pig is a shining gem. It was once famous across the country for its thin skin, fine bones, tender meat, and unique flavor. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Yushan Black Pig was designated as a special supply pig and sent to Beijing, Mount Lu, and other places for consumption by central leaders. The Yushan Black Pig is a nationally protected livestock genetic resource and has been included by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in the "Domestic Animal Diversity Information System." Its meat is tender, juicy, fresh, flavorful, and aromatic, belonging to the dual-purpose (lean and fat) type. Most uniquely, its lean meat ratio reaches 56%!

　　Category: Meat Product Name: Yushan Black Pig Registration Certificate No.: AGI01106 Ministry of Agriculture Announcement No./Date: No. 1925 (April 15, 2013) Brief Introduction to Humanistic History The Yushan Black Pig is small in stature, round-bodied, with a slightly concave back and a large belly, short and thick limbs, a short snout, deep wrinkles on the forehead, and drooping ears that slightly tilt forward, typically having 6–7 pairs of teats. The breeding history of the Yushan Black Pig is long. According to pottery pigs and pigsties unearthed from Han Dynasty tombs in the production area, local pig farming had reached a considerable level as early as 2,000 years ago (from *Jiangxi Livestock and Poultry Breed Chronicles*, published by Jiangxi Science and Technology Press). In the 1960s and 1970s, the Yushan Black Pig was supplied as a special breed to Beijing and Mount Lu for central leaders. In 1988, it was included in the *Chinese Livestock and Poultry Breed Chronicles*. In August 1992, Russian expert Beshenko visited Yushan County to study the Yushan Black Pig. In 2000, it was recorded in the FAO’s "Domestic Animal Diversity Information System." In June 2006, the Yushan Black Pig was designated by the Ministry of Agriculture as a national protected livestock genetic resource, and in October of the same year, its original breeding farm was recognized as one of the first national-level protected livestock genetic resource farms.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Yushan County is located in the northeastern part of Jiangxi Province, along the upper reaches of the Xin River. It borders Kaihua, Changshan, and Jiangshan counties/cities of Zhejiang Province to the east, Guangfeng County to the south, the Xinzhou District of Shangrao City to the west, and Dexing City to the north. It is known as the “First Gateway of Yuzhang” and the “Lock and Key of Two Rivers, Thoroughfare of Eight Provinces.” The geographical protection area of the Yushan Black Pig includes 16 townships: Yansui Town, Bingxi Town, Xiazhen Town, Xianyan Town, Wencheng Town, Bimu Town, Hengjie Town, Siguqiao Township, Shuangming Town, Zi Lake Town, Huaiyu Township, Zhangcun Town, Linhu Town, Nanshan Township, Xiatang Township, and Liudu Township. The protected area lies between 117°51′15"–118°25′41" east longitude and 28°29′48"–29°01′08" north latitude, covering a total area of 1,731.2 square kilometers. The total production scale is 268,000 pigs, with an annual output of 19,800 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: The Yushan Black Pig is small in size, round-bodied, with a slightly concave back and a large belly, short snout, deep wrinkles on the forehead, and drooping ears that slightly tilt forward. Its coat is black, the skin is relatively loose, and the teats are neatly arranged, usually 6–7 pairs. It has a longer growth cycle, superior meat quality, rich intramuscular fat content, tenderness and juiciness, being fatty but not greasy, with fresh and delicious flavor. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Moisture content 73.1%–78.6%, protein 20.1%–24.3%, intramuscular fat 2.01%–3.61%, inosinic acid 1010 mg/kg–1369 mg/kg, palmitic acid 20.1%–25.3%, stearic acid 10.5%–14.4%, oleic acid 47.0%–57.5%, linoleic acid 6.2%–8.0%, with adenosine monophosphate, adenosine diphosphate, and adenosine triphosphate all less than 10 mg/kg. 3. Safety Requirements: The production of Yushan Black Pig strictly follows the *Pollution-Free Food Pig Breeding Management Guidelines* (NY/5033-2001).