Meishan Pigs

 Chinese Meishan pigs are one of the oldest breeds of livestock pig. They originate from the Taihu region of China where pigs have been domesticated for over 5000 years. Today however the population levels of the Meishan Pig have become critically low. This has put the breed perilously close to possible extinction. In the spring of 2018 The Livestock Conservancy estimated the world wide population of verifiably pure Meishans at less than 2000 breeding animals. Consequently, in their 2018 Conservation Priority List, the Livestock Conservancy classified the Meishan Breed as “Critically Endangered.” Until recently, verifiably pure Meishan Pigs have not been readily available to private farmers in North America. With the release of the final Meishan Genetics from the USDA Meat Animal Research Center and the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, the A.M.B.A. believes that now, a sufficiently genetically-diverse base herd of Meishans exists to preserve the breed. This conservation effort will require a base of dedicated breeders. The A.M.B.A. was formed to organize this base and document their breeding efforts.  

(credit: AMBA website)