The Krškopolje pig is the only indigenous pig breed in Slovenia. The pigs have been recorded in herd books since 1993, and their numbers have been on the rise ever since, mainly due to the fact that an increasing number of people have become aware of the breed’s advantages – they produce high-quality meat at economic rates. Andrej Kastelic, head of the Farm Advisory Service and Livestock Production department at the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia Novo mesto, has this to say about the breed: “The Krškopolje pig traces its origin to the southern region of Dolenjska (Lower Carniola) and the 19th century. It is mostly black in colour, while the front party is usually white. Breeding them was banned between 1970 and 1980, so the boars had to be neutered, and it was illegal to sell them on the open market. Farmers were only allowed to keep the pigs for their own consumption.”
There are about 300 breeding sows and 60 boars in Slovenia at the moment, and a total of 5000 pigs are raised on 90 farms every year.
Goran Rovan, translated by D.V.