Villagers make a covenant to buy and sell 'clean' pigs
(Baonghean.vn) - Local pigs are considered a “clean” meat product by the people of Muong Ai commune (Ky Son). Some villages here even have regulations prohibiting the sale of pigs of unknown origin to customers.
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| "Clean" pigs in the West are mainly raised free-range in mountainous areas. Photo: Ho Phuong |
Muong Ai is a difficult border commune of the mountainous district of Ky Son. The commune is mainly inhabited by the Kho Mu and Thai ethnic groups. In addition to cultural, artistic, and traditional customs, the people here still establish a village convention on buying and selling “clean” pigs.
According to the concept of the people in Muong Ai commune, the origin is to determine the biological mother of the pig being sold. The way the villagers in Muong Ai prove the origin of the pigs being sold is also very innocent.
With their simplicity, they have convinced customers to buy. According to gourmets, Muong Ai local pigs are the most popular in the mountainous district of Ky Son. Not only because they are raised according to the free-range tradition, with natural food, but also because of the unique way the pig owners prove their origin.
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| The barns are built on hills and mountains. Photo: Huu Vi |
The head of Pung village (Muong Ai), Mr. Luong Pho Keo, said that for a long time, people have been complaining about the habit of keeping sows for many years. Only when they are too old and no longer able to reproduce are they slaughtered. Many sows in the village weigh up to 200 kg and are nearly 20 years old.
That's why almost all the local pigs sold have their origin proven by their mother pig, which all the locals know.
Mr. Keo, the head of Pung village, said that if anyone is found selling pigs of unknown origin without clearly stating it to the buyer, they will be warned by the village. After two warnings, they will be fined 100,000 VND to be added to the village's operating fund. However, according to the village chief Pung, the “convention” has been in place for over a year now but there has been no violation. When the village chief urged villagers not to sell pigs of unknown origin at a meeting, some people bought piglets from the lowlands to raise but did not dare to sell them anymore. “Basically, they are ashamed of the village,” Mr. Keo confided. |
The head of Pung village, Mr. Pho Keo, added: In the commune, most of the villages raise free-range pigs. The villagers almost only raise local pigs. Recently, some pig traders, mainly from Yen Thanh district, have brought pigs from the lowlands to sell to the people. At first, some bought them to try raising. Later, they realized that the pigs from the lowlands were not suitable for free-range farming, and gradually no one bought them anymore. The main reason, according to the explanation of the head of Pung village, is because: "They often go on trips too far."
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| The main food of pigs is wild vegetables. Photo: Huu Vi |
However, some greedy people have bought piglets from the lowlands, raised them freely, and then sold them to customers, calling them “local pigs.” Mr. Keo said that doing so was “not honest” because the local people have never sold anything dishonest.
The origin of the local pigs must be clear, meaning their mothers must be identified. Pigs bought from the lowlands and raised in captivity, although their meat is firmer than those raised in captivity and fed with stork bran, are not local pigs.
Some teachers in Muong Ai commune, Ky Son district, tell the story of the Khmu and Thai communities keeping their “trust” in buying and selling local pigs. When asked to buy, the seller will show the buyer the sow in the house and say: “This is its origin. That’s its mother.”
Although not having a “convention” like Pung village, some villages in Muong Ai commune that were asked also do not sell pigs of unknown origin. Mr. Moong Pho Vinh, head of Xop Xang village, said that villagers only sell pigs originating from the lowlands at a lower price.
However, only a few households raise this type of pig. The Khmu people here still maintain the habit of raising pigs originating from the village rather than pigs imported from the lowlands. Because of keeping their reputation with customers, buyers are always assured of the quality of "local pigs" in Muong Ai.
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| Local pigs are often raised free-range. Photo: Ho Phuong |
However, according to Mr. Lu Van Lam, Xop Lau village, Muong Ai commune, free-range farming, although preserving the specialty of local pigs, also causes disadvantages.
In addition to the impact of pig farming on environmental hygiene, this form of farming also causes diseases to spread rapidly whenever they appear. In early 2017, many areas in Ky Son district experienced an outbreak of septicemia, causing thousands of livestock deaths throughout the district.
Mr. Nguyen Sy Son - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ky Son district said that the total number of pigs in the area is currently 34,710. Most of these are local pigs. Local pigs are mainly raised on a small scale in households according to the customs of the highland people. Most communes in Ky Son district have households raising local pigs in the form of free-range./.
Huu Vi - Ho Phuong
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