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Farming and biodiversity of indigenous pigs in Nepal

Abstract Livestock biodiversity is critically important for achieving food security and alleviating poverty for the rapidly growing human population. Indigenous pigs are an important part of Nepal's rich biodiversity of livestock resources. It is imperative that an inventory is made and their properties characterized to avoid their genetic erosion. Once lost, these natural resources are largely irreplaceable. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to provide comprehensive documentation on the biodiversity and characteristics of indigenous pigs, their population trends, and socio-economic and cultural importance to the livelihood of many rural communities in Nepal. Nepal is a country of multiple ethnicities with a caste system. Pig farming in Nepal has socio-economic and cultural importance for some ethnic groups, while for others it is a social or religious taboo. Paradoxically, there are no taboos or restrictions in the slaughtering and consumption of wild pig, whose meat is considered a delicacy. While the natural population of wild pigs is declining, the overall population of domestic pigs and pork production in Nepal has increased over the years. Today, indigenous pigs constitute 58% of the total pig population while the remaining 42% are exotic or improved breeds. The physical and production characteristics of three main indigenous breeds namely Chwanche, Hurrah and Bampudke, are described in this paper. While the population of Chwanche is stable, the number of Hurrah is declining and Bampudke is under threat of extinction. Pig improvement programmes have mainly focused on the introduction of exotic germplasm; little attention has been paid to conservation and sustainable use of indigenous pig resources. As a part of the implementation of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources, in situ and ex situ conservation for promotion and sustainable utilization of indigenous pig genetic resources is imperative.