Xichang Highland Black Pigs

Xichang Highland Black Pigs

The Xichang Highland Black Pig is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　The Xichang Highland Black Pig has a long history. According to Chang Qu’s *Records of the States South of Mount Hua* (Huayang Guo Zhi, 347 AD), as early as the Han Dynasty, the Yi people were “raising pigs here.” The Yi people traditionally keep sows and prefer to eat suckling pig meat. Product characteristics: The production area of Xichang Highland Black Pigs is at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. During the day, the pigs roam freely in the mountains and fields, foraging on wild grass, plant seeds, roots, and tubers. In the evening, they are herded back to pens and supplemented with feed such as potatoes, buckwheat, corn, oats, and round roots. The growth period of commercial pigs is generally over one year, with no exogenous pollution throughout the entire growth cycle. The meat products are pollution-free, naturally green (free from harmful residues), and of high quality (the meat is red and tender, delicious, easy to chew, juicy, and not greasy), offering a unique flavor. Industrial development: Six breeding bases have been established in high-altitude cold mountainous areas above 2,000 meters, with an annual output of 15,600 tons and an annual output value of 320 million yuan. Main practices and achievements: The production of “Xichang Highland Black Pigs” has been included as one of the top ten key livelihood projects and one of the five major income-increasing projects in rural economy of Xichang City, as well as in industrial development projects and poverty alleviation projects in ethnic minority townships. The company + base + farmer breeding model has been vigorously promoted to expand the scale of breeding. By 2016, the number of pigs slaughtered reached 100,000, an increase of 3.5%.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The production area of Xichang Highland Black Pigs is located in 13 townships of Xichang City: Baima Township, Yinchang Township, Baru Township, Kaiyuan Township, Daqing Township, Sihe Township, Luogupo Township, Anha Town, Qiaodi Township, Xiangshui Township, Mopan Township, Mingsheng Township, and Daxing Township. The total area of the production zone is 1,869 square kilometers. Xichang City governs 37 townships, 6 subdistrict offices, and 14 neighborhood committees, with a total population of 650,000. The production area is located between 101°46′–102°25′ east longitude and 27°32′–28°10′ north latitude, at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. In 2009, there were 300,000 Xichang Highland Black Pigs bred, 200,000 slaughtered annually, and 100,000 retained.

　　Product Quality and Characteristic Features

　　1. External Sensory and Meat Characteristics: The Xichang Highland Black Pig is characterized by bright red meat color, lean meat with a slight marble pattern, fine and tender texture, good chewiness, and a unique aroma. 2. Physicochemical Indicators of Xichang Highland Black Pig Meat: The fat content of Xichang Highland Black Pig meat (longissimus dorsi muscle) is 10–20% higher than that of ordinary pork, cholesterol is 2–20% lower, protein is 7–10% higher, and the total amino acid content is 5–10% higher than that of ordinary pork. The test indicators for the Xichang Highland Black Pig (longissimus dorsi muscle) are shown in (Attachment 2). 3. Product Quality Standards are implemented according to the Sichuan Regional Local Standard – *Xichang Highland Black Pig Breeding Technical Regulations* (DB5134/T201-2011) (issued by the Liangshan Prefecture Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau of Sichuan Province on May 1, 2011).