Chuxiong Sabapig

Chuxiong Sabapig

Chuxiong Sabapig is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Chuxiong Sabapig originated in nine counties and one city in Chuxiong Prefecture, Yunnan Province: Chuxiong City, Shuangbai County, Mouding County, Nanhua County, Yao'an County, Dayao County, Yongren County, Yuanmou County, Wuding County, and Lufeng County. It is also distributed in Luquan Yi Autonomous County, Fumin County, Anning City, and Dongchuan District of Kunming City.

　　There are no clear historical records about the formation of the Sabapig. Based on resource surveys of local pig breeds in Chuxiong Prefecture, as well as county chronicles and local interviews, there are basically two theories. One is that the breed was introduced by migrants from other provinces; the other is that local people domesticated wild boars. According to a survey in Wandai Town, Wuding County, the earliest pigs were brought by the Nuo and Huang Tusi (local chieftains) who migrated from Liangshan, Sichuan. Another theory is that in the producing areas, it was common practice to graze pigs, cattle, and sheep together. There were occasional cases where wild boars mated with domestic sows in heat, suggesting the Sabapig may have developed through the domestication of wild boars. Currently, the Sabapig in Chuxiong Prefecture is mainly found in remote mountainous areas, often raised under poor conditions. Sows and growing pigs are grazed alongside cattle and sheep. The locals generally do not keep boars, and instead use young boars around 3–4 months old and weighing about 15 kg (weaned) for breeding. These boars are usually castrated after breeding for fattening.

　　According to a 2008 survey conducted in nine counties and one city in Chuxiong Prefecture (Chuxiong City, Shuangbai County, Mouding County, Nanhua County, Yao'an County, Dayao County, Yongren County, Yuanmou County, Wuding County, and Lufeng County), as well as in Luquan County, Anning City, and Fumin County of Kunming City, there were nearly 190,000 Sabapigs, including 1,500 breeding boars and approximately 188,000 sows. Among them, Chuxiong City accounted for 28.96%, Dayao County for 20.07%, Nanhua County for 15.11%, and Wuding County for 14.42%. The rest were distributed in Yuanmou, Lufeng, Yongren, Mouding, Yao'an, and other areas.

　　In the past 20 years, the number of Sabapigs has continued to decline. In 1979, there were 1.18 million Sabapigs in Chuxiong Prefecture (at the time, Luquan County was still part of Chuxiong Prefecture’s administrative division). After the 1980s, a large number of crossbred pigs—using Sabapigs as the maternal line and foreign pig breeds as the paternal line—were raised in the producing areas. The Sabapig is an outstanding local pig breed in Yunnan Province, known for its ability to thrive on rough feed (making efficient use of agricultural by-products), strong disease resistance, and good meat quality (delicious and tender). However, it grows slowly, has low feed conversion efficiency, and low lean meat ratio in the carcass, and is mostly used as a maternal line for crossbreeding.

　　The Sabapig is of medium size, with a long and slender body. Its head is of moderate size, with a narrow forehead featuring either full or incomplete eight-diagram wrinkles. Its ears are of medium size, soft at the base and drooping. Its snout is long, though some are of moderate length. The belly sags but does not touch the ground, and the rump is slightly pointed and sloped. The limbs are sturdy and strong. The tail is thick and long, with a low tail root. There are generally six pairs of teats, occasionally seven, neatly and symmetrically arranged, with the last pair often separated. The pig is mostly covered in black hair, with a few having red hair. Some individuals have white markings on the head, limbs, and tail tip (referred to as “six whites”).

　　 Since 1986, Yunnan Province has undertaken breed preservation efforts for the Sabapig. The Chuxiong Prefecture Pig Breeding Farm serves as the conservation farm for the Sabapig in Yunnan. In 2006, there were 300 Sabapigs under conservation, including 180 core group sows and 24 boars from eight bloodlines. In 2006, the Sabapig was included in the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Conservation List.