A rare breed of pig known internationally as ‘The Yorkshire Pig’ has appeared at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show after it was added to the highest priority category on agricultural lists.
In April 2022 the UK-native Large White Pig breed, more commonly known as ‘The Yorkshire Pig’, was added to the most urgent priority category on the RBST’s annual watchlist after the breed suffered a further significant decline in numbers in 2021.
Following the worrying announcement, a new conservation project has been revealed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) and British Pig Association (BPA) at the Great Yorkshire Show, offering new hope for the future of the rare native pedigree pig breed.
Read more: Great Yorkshire Show LIVE: First day of iconic event begins - updates
The new project will see the RBST and BPA jointly purchase ten pedigree Large White Pigs, selected from the most vulnerable Large White bloodlines to join tailored breeding programmes at five RBST-accredited farm parks across the UK.
This action will not only secure vulnerable pedigree bloodlines to strengthen the breed’s genetic diversity, it will also improve the breed’s geographic dispersal which is crucial to safeguarding against the potential for a rare breed’s decimation through disease, according to experts.
RBST chief executive Christopher Price said: “The Large White Pig is a wonderful breed, rooted in Yorkshire but at one time it was being exported all over the world thanks to its many attributes including hardiness, fast growth and excellence in crossbreeding.
It is part of our rural heritage, but it also has a key role to play in food and farming today and for the future.”
The Large White Pig has had a significant influence in the commercial pig industry and the development of the hybrid pig.
It enjoyed enormous popularity in the 1950s, but breed numbers declined dramatically in the aftermath of the Foot and Mouth crisis of 2001.
In 1955 there were more than 7200 independent breeders of pedigree Large Whites. Today there are less than 50 breeders keeping the original bloodlines alive.
BPA chief executive Marcus Bates added: “The Large White Pig, exported from the UK for more than 100 years is the foundation of every commercial pig industry around the world: virtually any joint in the supermarket today will have some degree of Large White in its genetic make-up.
“Sadly, the original pedigree population in the UK has been in decline for many years. Today it is teetering on the brink and urgent action is needed to ensure it has a future at all.
“This project will strengthen the breed’s genetic diversity and geographic dispersal around the UK, both of which are crucial for any rare breed’s future.”
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