Baoshan Pig

Baoshan Pig

The Baoshan Pig is a geographical indication certification trademark.

The Baoshan Pig is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　The Baoshan Pig is an important type of the Wujin Pig. Formerly known as the Baoshan Big-Ear Pig, it was included in the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Inventory in 1986 and is classified as a dual-purpose breed for both meat and lard. The Baoshan Pig originates from Longyang District, Shidian, Changning, Tengchong, and Longling counties in Baoshan City, with small distributions in some counties and cities of Dehong Prefecture.

　　The Baoshan Pig boasts strong adaptability and disease resistance, is tolerant to coarse feed, and has a relatively large body size. Its forequarters are more developed than its hindquarters, with sturdy and powerful limbs. It exhibits high prolificacy, early sexual maturity, high conception rates during breeding, long productive life in sows, and shows obvious hybrid vigor when crossed with exotic breeds. The meat is tender, sweet, and flavorful.

　　The Baoshan Pig is a traditional breed raised locally by ethnic groups in Baoshan City, with a long history of breeding. Comrade Zhang Xingzhi mentioned in his article “Livestock in Yunnan’s Neolithic Age” that when discussing the Tangzigou site in Pupiao Town, Baoshan City (now Longyang District), the pig and cattle fossils unearthed showed duality—possibly wild species or in the process of domestication. As far back as 4000–3000 years ago in the Neolithic Age, humans were already raising domestic pig breeds, and pig farming had achieved certain development. According to “An Introduction to Chinese Pig Breeds” (Science Press, 1960), “The Baoshan Pig, through years of breeding by local people, gradually formed into a local breed.” From September 1979 to September 1980, the Baoshan regional and county livestock and veterinary stations jointly investigated the livestock and poultry breeds in the Baoshan region. They examined the favorable traits and drawbacks of the Baoshan Big-Ear Pig, renamed it the Baoshan Pig, and included it in the “Baoshan Regional Livestock and Poultry Breed Chronicle.” According to the Baoshan Regional Livestock and Poultry Breed Chronicle, “The Baoshan countryside enjoys rich agricultural products, abundant fallow and idle mountainous land, and plentiful wild feed, which provide favorable conditions for pig farming. After long years of hard work and careful selection by people of all ethnic groups in the region, along with enhanced economic and cultural exchanges and developed transportation, there has been frequent movement of pig stocks between mountainous and flatland areas, as well as between inland and border regions. Coupled with natural conditions and distinctive feeding and management practices, this led to the categorization of pigs into Large-Bone, Fine-Bone, and Erlangzi types.” The Baoshan Pig has a rough and loose physique, a large head, wide forehead with many wrinkle patterns resembling the ‘Bagua’ (Eight Trigrams); its snout is thick and long, with a slight concave upward curve in some cases, commonly referred to as a ‘ladle-mouth’; it has large drooping ears, a narrow and elongated body, straight back and loin, though some are slightly concave; its chest is narrow with flat ribs slightly drooping, the croup is broad, the abdomen is compact and not droopy, and the hip is less full; its limbs are tall, thick, and powerful, with many folds around the legs and flanks, also called ‘wearing leggings,’ and the fetlock joints are rather curved. In 1987, it was recorded in the book “Chronicles of Livestock and Poultry Breeds in Yunnan Province.” In 2004, it was included in the “Status of China’s Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources” and listed in the “Illustrated Atlas of China’s Local Livestock Breeds,” published by the China Agriculture Press in 2004. In 1969, the Baoshan Breeding Pig Farm was established in Shuichang Township, Shidian County, Baoshan City. From 1970 to 1996, efforts focused only on utilizing the Baoshan Pig without effective selective breeding and improvement. Coupled with blind crossbreeding, this resulted in stagnation or even regression of many performance traits over the years. From 1997 to 2000, in order to fully tap the potential of local characteristic genetic resources, and in line with the requirements of a quality breeding system, the former provincial planning commission initiated and completed the construction and enhancement of the Baoshan Breeding Pig Farm. By 2000, artificial insemination stations had been established at the county level across all districts and counties in Baoshan, and some townships had set up and consolidated artificial insemination service points, initially forming a ‘three herds and one network’ quality breeding system with the Baoshan Pig as the dam line. While building the system, according to its requirements, the Baoshan Breeding Pig Farm assembled a core group of Baoshan Pigs, initiating selective breeding efforts. These efforts combined breeding, production, and promotion, achieving preliminary progress. Since 2000, with the care and strong support of leaders and experts from national, provincial, and municipal departments, the Baoshan Breeding Pig Farm undertook a series of tasks including herd protection, scientific breeding, and rational development and utilization of the Baoshan Pig. Collaborations were carried out with research institutions such as the Provincial Improvement Station and Yunnan Agricultural University on projects including “Selection of Superior Female Lines of Baoshan Pig and Utilization of Hybrid Vigor” and “Optimization and Key Technology Research on Sustainable Utilization of New Strains of Baoshan Pig.” These efforts expanded the population of superior Baoshan Pigs, improved their quality, and stabilized the breeding group. After multiple on-site investigations by expert groups organized by provincial and prefectural authorities, the Baoshan Pig was recognized as a rare livestock resource unique to Yunnan Province. In 2009, it was listed as a provincial-level protected livestock and poultry genetic resource breed in Yunnan. In 2011, during the “Yunnan Top Six Pigs, Cattle, Sheep, Chickens, and Fish” selection and recognition campaign organized by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture, the Baoshan Pig was shortlisted among the Yunnan Top Six Pigs after rigorous evaluations.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The Baoshan Pig is raised in five counties (districts) within the administrative region of Baoshan City, Yunnan Province: Longyang District, Shidian County, Tengchong County, Longling County, and Changning County. The geographical coordinates are longitude 98°25′–100°02′ east and latitude 24°08′–25°51′ north, spanning 198 km from east to west and 193 km from north to south. The breeding area covers 19,637 square kilometers, with an annual inventory of 65,000 pigs.