Domestic Free-Range Pig Genetic Resources in Southern Africa: Progress and Prospects

Abstract

Pig genetic resources in Africa originate from different regions and were introduced through several migration pathways. Genetic analysis has shown a strong phylogeographic pattern, with pigs on the eastern parts showing a high frequency of alleles from the Far East while the ones on the western parts show a strong European influence. This highlights the influence of trade routes on the genetic legacy of African pigs. They have, however, since adapted to the local environments to produce unique populations with unique attributes. Most of the pigs are now reared in resource-constrained smallholdings under free-range conditions. They are largely owned by women who spread ownership of the resource through kinship networks. Very little work has been done to characterize, conserve, and sustainably utilize pig genetic resources in Southern Africa. The risk status of the breeds together with population numbers, distribution, and other attributes are largely unknown. This paper proposes several strategies for the sustainable utilization of the pig genetic resources: A market-driven in situ conservation program and two complementary ex situ strategies. In addition, the possibility of community-based breed improvement programs is discussed. It was concluded that genetic characterization of domestic free-range pig populations should be a supreme priority.

One hundred years of African swine fever in Africa: Where have we been, where are we now, where are we going?

“…Pigs have a long history in Africa and the importance of conserving hardy local breeds that can produce pork under less-than-optimal conditions of management and nutrition is increasingly recognized (Darfour-Oduro et al, 2009;Halimani et al, 2010Halimani et al, , 2013Halimani et al, , 2020Kiendrebeogo et al, 2012;Madzimure et al, 2013;Nsoso et al, 2006).…”

“…Pigs have a long history in Africa and the importance of conserving hardy local breeds that can produce pork under less‐than‐optimal conditions of management and nutrition is increasingly recognized (Darfour‐Oduro et al., 2009; Halimani et al., 2010, 2013, 2020; Kiendrebeogo et al., 2012; Madzimure et al., 2013; Nsoso et al., 2006). While modern, high‐producing breeds are used for commercial production, smallholder farmers who cannot afford commercial rations and may not have access to unlimited supplies of water need more forgiving breeds that can nevertheless provide them with a good income (Chiduwa et al., 2008; Madzimure et al., 2013; Mashatise et al., 2005).…”

Distribution and relative abundance of pig breeds in South-Western Agro-ecological Zone, Uganda: Status of locally adapted pigs

“…Ouma et al (2015) contended that regardless of who heads a household, it is widely agreed that women and children actively participate in managing pigs and other small animals that are reared in homesteads. Previous studies reported that pig ownership was inclusive of all genders, with a slightly higher number of female owners of locally adopted ones (Morison et al, 2019;Halimani et al, 2020) while males dominate ownership of exotic breeds and their crosses and with large numbers. The dominance of female owners and the spread of pigs within the gender is based on family connections where family members provide assistance in the care of pigs under the supervision of females who are always around home compared to the males (Halimani et al, 2020).…”

Indigenous pig genetic resources: Preliminary documentation of current status and population trend of Tswana pigs in three districts of Botswana

“…Documenting and monitoring the status of animal genetic resources is one of the vital factors for their sustainable use, development, and conservation (FAO 2011, Cao et al 2021. Indigenous Tswana pigs, just like other indigenous livestock species, are not highly regarded in commercial production system (Halimani 2020). The main reason for that is the slow growth rate compared to the exotic commercial pigs (Wang et al 2021).…”