Contact: Donald E. Bixby, Technical Program Director [EMAIL PROTECTED]
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
PO Box 477
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-542-5704
For Immediate Release: National Swine Census Released
Important genetic diversity remains in the U.S. swine populations that
warrants both research and conservation. Conservation begins with learning
as much as possible about the resource to be conserved. The American
Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) conducted the first comprehensive
livestock breeds census in 1985 as a tool for understanding the scope of
needed genetic conservation. While there is continuous monitoring of breed
populations, a comprehensive survey is repeated about every five years. The
results of the most recent ALBC comprehensive swine census are now
available.
The rapid consolidation of the swine industry is perhaps the greatest threat
to genetic diversity. Industrial strains are usually not characterized as
breeds, but are selected for specific production characteristics in a
controlled environment. Population data are not readily available on these
strains since they are closely held by the corporations that have developed
them.
While there is likely no immediate financial incentive to reverse the race
to genetic uniformity in the industry, there are two compelling reasons for
the conservation of current genetics. First, is the immediate need for the
research and development of alternatives to intensive management systems.
Extensive systems such as, deep litter, hoop houses, and pasturing can
produce high-value specialty products. An even more compelling reason for
the conservation of diversity is to maintain genetic options for the future,
since we do not know the challenges yet to be faced in providing food
security for the nation and the world.
American Spots, Berkshire, Chester, Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Poland
China, and Yorkshire are all in genetically healthy numbers for
conservation, however, there is a long-term decline in the number of
registrations of the purebred swine; over 52% since the first ALBC Census in
1985, 44% since 1990, and 28% since 1995. This is no doubt due to several
factors that have developed from the rapid consolidation of the swine
industry. First, there are fewer farmers involved in raising seed stock as
more pork is being produced, processed, and marketed by the huge, integrated
corporations. Further, these companies have developed their own highly
selected production lines rather than employing purebred seed stock
developed and maintained by generations of farmers. What is interesting is
that while Iowa and North Carolina are the two top pork producing states,
purebred seed stock is overwhelmingly produced in Indiana and Illinois.
Other Midwestern states produce significant purebred seed stock, North
Carolina produces virtually none.
The Berkshire breed showed a great increase in registration numbers,
increasing from about 15,000 in 1998 to nearly 40,000 in 2000/2001. This
increase in numbers was fueled by Japanese import demands for the
well-marbled meat produced by this breed, but has expanded as American chefs
and others became increasingly concerned about quality, flavor, and texture
of pork products. Yet to be discovered, is the same characteristic in
several of the less well known breeds, especially the so-called British
pasture or orchard pigs such as the Large Black, the Gloucestershire Old
Spots, and the Saddleback breeds. Heritage American breeds such as Red
Wattle, Guinea Hog, and Mulefoot swine are also alleged to demonstrate this
characteristic.
While, the Chester White and Poland China were essentially unchanged
from 1999 to 2000/ 2001, their numbers have decreased by more than 25% over
the past five years. At the same time, Hampshire and Yorkshire registrations
showed dramatic declines in number, more than 30% during the past five
years. Duroc and Landrace breeds show less drastic declines.
In addition to the pure breeds that have dominated the swine industry in the
recent past, there remain less well known breeds that retain genetic
characteristics or genomes that are, or may be, useful for alternative
production systems or markets. Despite their limited number of
registrations, the Hereford, Tamworth, and Large Black all showed increases
in reproductive activity. These are the breeds that have been advocated by
the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and others supporting sustainable
agriculture for use in outdoor, low-input, and organic pork production.
There is increasing research to support the anecdotal information that these
traditional breeds of swine retain the hardiness and foraging ability that
can make them successful on pasture and in other low-input systems. Other
less well-known breeds may be suited for pasture production, but require
documentation. These include Red Wattle, Mulefoot, Gloucestershire Old Spots
and Saddleback breeds. Choctaw, Guinea Hogs, and Vietnamese Potbelly pigs
may have a part to play in homestead/small scale production. All three
breeds are landraces (not to be confused with the Landrace breed) and do not
have breed associations or registries.
Using the data collected in this census, and the criteria developed over the
past 25 years by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, the following
table was designed to draw attention to the breeds of swine most in need of
conservation. The categories were established based on numbers of annual
registration in the United States against a background of global
populations.
Critical - fewer than 200 annual North American registrations and estimated
fewer than
2,000 global population
Rare - fewer than 1,000 annual North American registrations and estimated
fewer than
5,000 global population.
Watch - fewer than 2,500 annual North American registrations and estimated
fewer than
10,000 global population. Also included are breeds with genetic or
numerical
concerns or have a limited geographic distribution.
Study - Breeds that are of genetic interest but lack definition, genetic or
historic
documentation.
Recovering Breeds which were once listed in one of the other categories
and have
exceeded Watch category numbers but are still in need of monitoring.
Critical:
Gloucestershire Old Spots
Guinea Hog [1]
Large Black
Mulefoot [1]
Ossabaw Island (F) [1]
Red Wattle [1]
Saddleback
Rare:
Hereford [1]
Tamworth
Study:
Choctaw [1]
[1] Unique to North America
(F) feral population or breed of feral origin
Feral animals are domesticated animals that have returned to a free-living
state. It is a fact of biology that the truly wild type and wild genetic
strain are never again fully regained, but some feral animals do indeed
approach the wild type. Feral animals are interesting because they have
returned to a selection environment where nature rather than humans decide
which ones reproduce and which ones succumb. Some feral populations are
genetically distinct and usually come from a few founders. Others have much
broader genetic variation due to constant infusion of new recruits from a
wide variety of genetic sources. Ossabaw Island swine is one of a very few
feral populations that qualify as breeds in the genetic sense of limited
variability.
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is dedicated to the conservation
and promotion of endangered breeds of livestock and poultry. ALBC¹s
conservation efforts include research on breed status and characteristics;
developing breed specific strategies for conservation; maintaining a gene
bank of rare breeds; strengthening the stewardship skills of breeders
through various educational venues; and educating the public through
workshops, conferences and publications. ALBC is the only organization in
the United States that does this important work. Established in 1977, ALBC
is a national, non-profit, membership organization based in Pittsboro, North
Carolina. For more
information about this census, any of the breeds mentioned, or about breed
conservation, contact ALBC, PO Box 477, Pittsboro, NC 27312, (919) 542-5704,
www.albc-usa.org.
(Photos available for use with publication)
Title: FW: ALBC Press Release - National Swine Census Released 10
