title: Introduction of various vietnamese indigenous pig breeds and their conservation by using assisted reproductive techniques.
abstract: Pigs are one of the most important domesticated animals in Vietnam. They are the main source of meat for the Vietnamese. According to FAO statistics, Vietnam is among the top 5 countries raising pigs in the world, with nearly 27 million hogs. This review article introduces the distribution, morphology, growth potential, meat-producing ability and reproductive efficiency of six Vietnamese indigenous pig breeds: I, Mong Cai, Muong Khuong, Soc, Meo and Co. The collected data showed that these Vietnamese pigs are less effective in comparison with Western pigs in terms of reproductive and meat-producing ability as well as weight growth. However, these Vietnamese indigenous breeds have some special characteristics, such as very early sexual maturity, and good adaptability to harsh raising conditions or poor feeding. Moreover, recent genetic research has shown that Vietnamese pigs are genetically diverse. Thus, conservation of these pig breeds using assisted reproductive techniques is urgent and important.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Breeding and Reproduction, National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, Japan.
authors.forename: Thanh Quang
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Dang-Nguyen
authors.forename: Nguyen Khac
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Tich
authors.forename: Bui Xuan
authors.initials: BX
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manabe
authors.forename: Jozsef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ratky
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000502:physiology; D008460:Meat; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D014744:Vietnam