Licha Black Pig

Licha Black Pig

The Licha Black Pig is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　The Licha Black Pig is an outstanding local pig breed in Shandong Province. It gets its name from its place of origin and coat color. It is mainly distributed in the Jiahe River basin at the junction of Jiaozhou, Jiaonan, and Zhucheng counties/cities in Shandong Province. The Licha Township is its central production area.

　　In 1972, during a key investigation of pig breeds in Shandong, the Licha Black Pig was discovered in Jiaoxian (now Jiaozhou City). Since then, the Changwei region and related counties have conducted multiple investigations and identifications of the Licha Black Pig. Historically, the local Licha Black Pig—sows

　　were of the North China type black pig. Around 1940, breeds such as Berkshire, Harbin White, and Landrace were introduced, but these foreign breeds were eventually phased out due to their inability to adapt to local feeding and management practices. Through long-term selective breeding and generational propagation, the local community gradually developed the Licha Black Pig. The Licha Black Pig is a local breed minimally influenced—or virtually unaffected—by foreign pig bloodlines. The Licha Black Pig is a large-sized pig of the North China type, with a robust build, long body, and tall stature. Adult boars weigh between 200–250 kilograms, while adult sows weigh 130–180 kilograms. Their coat is entirely black, with a medium-sized head featuring longitudinal wrinkles on the forehead, medium-sized drooping ears, a medium-length straight snout, a single back ridge, long and straight back and loin, and a non-sagging belly.

　　Characteristics

　　A notable characteristic of the Licha Black Pig is its long body. Measurements taken via X-ray imaging or post-slaughter visual inspection of vertebrae counts revealed that this breed has the same number of cervical (7) and sacral (4) vertebrae as other pig breeds, but an average total of 21.5 thoracic and lumbar vertebrae—1.5 more than the typical 20 found in other breeds, approaching the count seen in the Landrace. The Licha Black Pig also exhibits excellent reproductive performance. First-parity sows average 10.3 piglets per litter, with 8.5 surviving; multiparous sows average 12.8 piglets per litter, with 11.4 surviving. During the 15–90 kg fattening period, Licha Black Pigs gain an average of 576 grams per day, requiring about 3.6 kg of mixed feed per kilogram of weight gain, and typically reach 90 kg in around 180 days. Slaughter tests of 100 Licha Black Pigs showed an average pre-slaughter weight of 99 kg, a dressing percentage of 72.8%, an average loin eye area of 26.1 cm², skin thickness of 0.4 cm, backfat thickness of 3.2 cm, a hind leg ratio of 27.8%, and a carcass lean meat percentage of around 47%.

　　Pork Characteristics

　　Licha Black Pork is of high quality—tender, flavorful, and richly aromatic. The muscle color (3.4), marble score (2.6), pH level (around 6.2), and cooked meat rate (68.8%) are all relatively high, while the moisture loss rate is low (20%). Its growth cycle follows a natural progression, and its muscle fibers are finer, contributing to tender meat. The cross-section of the pork carries a distinctive fragrant aroma and shows clear marbling. The texture is succulent and tender, with a delicious, juicy mouthfeel, low cholesterol content, and abundant amino acids—making it a premium ecologically healthy food. The Licha Black Pig boasts strong adaptability, tolerance for coarse feed, excellent reproductive capacity, high dressing percentage, greater lean meat yield, and tender meat. Particularly noteworthy are its higher rib count and longer body frame, which are unique advantages among local pig breeds, making it a valuable “genetic reservoir” within the North China type pigs.