Main breeds of pigs and their characteristics

There are several breeds of pigs around the world, each with its own specific characteristics. Below are some of the main breeds of pigs and their main characteristics:

1. Landrace pig: a breed originating from Denmark, the Landrace is known for having high quality meat and low fat content. He has a long, narrow body with large, floppy ears.
2. Yorkshire Pig: Originating in England, the Yorkshire is a large, muscular breed of pig known for its lean, tasty meat. It has a long, straight body with erect ears.
3. Hampshire Pig: An American breed, the Hampshire is a large, muscular pig known for its marbled, flavorful meat. It has a shorter, wider body with a black stripe across its upper body and erect ears.
4. Berkshire Pig: Originally from the United Kingdom, the Berkshire is a small, compact breed of pig known for its marbled, flavorful meat. He has a short, broad body with a shiny black coat and floppy ears.
5. Duroc Pork: An American breed, the Duroc is a large, muscular pig known for its marbled, flavorful meat. He has a long, straight body, with a red coat and floppy ears.
6. Iberian Pig: originating from the Iberian Peninsula, the Ibérico is a breed of pig valued for its tasty meat and intramuscular fat, which is essential for the production of Iberian bellota ham. It has a robust and compact body, with short legs and floppy ears.
7. Mangalitsa Pig: Originating from Hungary, the Mangalitsa is a rare and prized breed of pig known for its marbled and flavorful meat. He has a large, hairy body with floppy ears.
8. Pig weighing: is a large breed of pig, with long, muscular legs and a thick layer of fat. It is raised on family farms or local cooperatives, following the animal welfare and quality standards that are fundamental to the production of Parma ham.
9. Large White Pig: the Large White is a breed of pig of English origin, known for its lean and tasty meat, as well as its high productivity. They have white fur, large, floppy ears, and a robust, muscular body. They are medium to large pigs, with an average weight of between 250 and 350 kg. Their breeding is mainly aimed at meat production, but they are also used in the production of bacon and lard. The Large White is a breed that is widespread throughout the world, being bred in several countries, including Brazil, where it is used in intensive pig production systems.

Brazilian pigs

There are several breeds of pigs typically from Brazil, they can be local, native breeds or mixtures of breeds brought from other regions of the world, some of them are:

1. Moorish Pig: due to its adaptation to different climatic conditions and its resistance to diseases, it can be found in various regions of the country. Moura pig is valued for its tasty and succulent meat.
2. Free-Range Pig: the free-range pig is a breed of pig raised mainly in rural areas in different regions of Brazil, such as the Southeast, South and Northeast. This breed is raised in extensive production systems, feeding mainly on grass and other natural foods, which gives the meat a characteristic and differentiated flavor. Free-range pork producers are generally small rural producers, who value the production of healthy and sustainable food, and seek to meet the demand for quality pork in local and regional markets. Free-range pig farming is done more naturally, without the use of hormones or antibiotics, and the animals have enough space to move and grow more slowly, resulting in better quality meat. However, the breed is still little known outside the regional market and faces challenges in its promotion and conservation.
3. Caruncho Pig: the Caruncho pig is a breed of pig native to Northeast Brazil, and is raised mainly in the states of Pernambuco, Paraíba and Alagoas. It is valued for its tasty meat and high fat concentration, which makes it ideal for lard production. The Caruncho pig is a breed raised mainly in extensive production systems, in which the animals are fed with grass and other natural foods, which gives the meat a characteristic and differentiated flavor. However, due to its low productivity compared to other commercial breeds, the Caruncho pig faces challenges for its conservation and preservation.
4. Creole Pig: the Creole pig, also known as criollo pig, is raised mainly in rural areas of southern Brazil, in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná. This breed is raised in extensive production systems, feeding mainly on grass and other natural foods, which gives the meat a characteristic and differentiated flavor. Creole pork producers are generally small rural producers, who value the production of healthy and sustainable food, and seek to meet the demand for quality pork in local and regional markets. Creole pigs are raised more naturally, without the use of hormones or antibiotics, and the animals have enough space to move and grow more slowly, resulting in better quality meat. However, the breed is still little known outside the regional market and faces challenges in its promotion and conservation.
5. Piau Pig: The Piau breed is considered one of the best and most important national naturalized breeds. There is evidence that this breed originated in the central region of Brazil, which includes Goiás, Minas Gerais and São Paulo. Piau comes from Tupi which means “one with spots”, due to the breed being spotted/painted. It is a breed that has great economic and food importance for small rural producers. The selection of the Piau pig began at the Experimental Farm of São Carlos, SP in 1939. Other studies with this breed have also been developed since 1998 at the Federal University of Viçosa (MG), where they are crossed with commercial breeds aiming at production and evaluation of lineages. segregants. Since 2014, research and extension projects have been developed with the Piau breed at the UFMG research unit in partnership with the cooperative of small regional farmers, aiming to rescue and disseminate the breed in the north of Minas Gerais.
6. Cerrado Pig: animal with excellent carcass characteristics and cutting yields with marble and a strong reddish color. The pieces are used to produce sausages (e.g. Italian salami, capocollo, lonzino, lomo serrano, canned meat) and cured pieces (e.g. Jamón Serrano and Prosciutto Crudo). This cross also combines the rusticity of the Piau breed and the performance and carcass quality of the Duroc.
7. Porco Monteiro: the Monteiro pig is a breed of pig native to Northeast Brazil, and is raised mainly in the states of Pernambuco, Paraíba and Alagoas. It is valued for its tasty meat and high fat concentration, which makes it ideal for lard production. The Monteiro pig is a breed raised mainly in extensive production systems, in which the animals are fed with pasture and other natural foods, which gives the meat a characteristic and differentiated flavor. However, due to its low productivity compared to other commercial breeds, the Monteiro pig faces challenges for its conservation and preservation.

Each breed of pig has its own unique characteristics and can be better adapted for different breeding conditions and production purposes. The choice of pig breed for meat production depends on the producer's needs, breeding conditions and the consumer market.