Breeding traditions are a reservoir of information about the history and identity of European countries. In the Czech region of Pilsen, the Přeštice black pied pig is one of the worthy representatives of local genetics. The Přeštice pig is the result of crossbreeding between an indigenous Bohemian breed and breeds imported from various regions of England (Yorkshire, Suffolk, Cornwall, Sussex). It benefits from the advantages of its ancestors: excellent resistance to climatic stresses and pathogens, adaptation to local food resources, and unquestionable maternal qualities. However, its status took a wrong turn after the First World War. In 1924, a new breeding law was passed: only pure white breeds of pigs (mainly Large White) were retained to ensure the country's pig production. The Přeštice pig hardly survived the ordeal. For the next few decades, it was secretly raised in a few backyards. It became the symbol of a form of resistance to the dictated way of breeding and the forced market.
In the 1950s a long programme of reconstruction of the breed was started, so that today the Přeštice pig is slowly regaining its place in the Czech landscape. But the road to reintroduction was (and still is) full of obstacles. Which status can be given to the Přeštice pig in the Czech Republic, where breeding is almost exclusively intensive? We went to meet the people who have pushed back the walls to rebuild the nest of the black and white pig in the Czech Republic.
On a yellow wall in the village of Mladotice, an hour west of Prague, a black and white pig with a thick neck and eyes covered with large, slightly floppy ears has been painted. Above the pig it says 'Zemědělské družstvo Mladotice', meaning 'Mladotice collective farm'. This is where Bejda, one of the farm's breeders, gave us a warm welcome. He raises a herd of 75 black Přeštice sows. On the farm, the productions are diversified and the Czech genetic heritage is very present: in addition to the Přeštice pigs, there are some Valaška sheep, some Czech hens, 180 dairy cows and some beef cattle. The farm covers 800 hectares of land dedicated to grazing, hay and silage production, as well as to cereal cultivation.
Photos from left to right. 1. Valaška ram and ewes. 2. Valaška ewe and Zlata Kropenata Slepice hens. 3. Czech spotted rabbit
On the farm, one can recognize the architecture of the buildings built in the time of the kolkhozes: low buildings, built lengthwise. The pigs are housed in several small groups. The 75 sows on the farm are kept in 20 groups of 3 or 4 sows. With this system, Bejda and the three farmers who work with him (farrowing, weaning, sow reproduction) carry out their husbandry tasks on a weekly basis. The sows give birth to an average of 11 black and white piglets per litter. In the nursery, the sows are contained to protect the piglets from being crushed. The calmness of the room underlines the serenity of the lactating sows. They surely know that in a few more weeks they will have the opportunity to romp around in a group accommodation with an outdoor run. The piglets are weaned at one month. In a conventional weaning, there are many stress factors: separation from the mother, change of environment, mixing of litters, etc. Here, we make sure to limit the stress at weaning by spacing out the steps usually performed on the same day: after separating the sow from the piglets, the piglets are kept in their maternal environment for a few days. They will then be moved to a new pen, without mixing litters together. After a few weeks of adaptation, the pigs move to the fattening house. There they are housed in new, larger pens. A small door gives them access to the outside on sunny days (in the winter period, the doors are closed to protect them from the cold). The Přeštice pigs are fed a high-fibre feed specially formulated for them. This is a healthy feed for a pig that tends to store a lot of fat, unlike its fast-growing cousins!
Photos from left to right. 1, 2, 3. Sucling piglets. 4. Weaned piglets (look at the long tails). 5. Fattening pigs.
"Fat is life!"
Yes, but not too much... For pig farmers, storing fat is a major challenge in order to meet consumer expectations for lean meat. While in some countries smoked pork fat is readily consumed (see our article in Romania "The Taste of Good Things"), the cultivation of fat in the Czech Republic is neither current nor a future projection. To ensure the reintegration of the Přeštice pig into the country's agricultural landscape, breeders have integrated consumer expectations into the breed's selection criteria. Thus, over the last twenty years, the selection of Přeštice pigs has led to a reduction in the thickness of the pig's fat. Today, there is no question of reducing it further.
Photo. Pork chops from Přeštice
"The fat in the meat is beneficial for meat to be processed into sausages and cured meat", František explains. František runs the Amaso butchery in Jeneč. It is here that all of the 1500 pigs produced annually by Bejda are cut up and processed into fine charcuterie, which is sold in the Naše Maso shop and in the restaurants of the Ambiente group in Prague. The Amaso butcher's shop processes a total of 2000 Přeštice pigs per year. Among the many products made from Přeštice pigs is the popular Prague ham, the same one that made the black and white pig famous decades ago. Frantisek is passionate about quality local meat. As the son of a butcher and a forward-thinking man, he started about ten years ago to develop beef and pork from his country's breeds: the Czech Fleckvieh cow and the Přeštice pig. He was able to carry out this project by investing in a joint venture with three partners in the Amaso cutting and processing plant.
Photos from left to right, top to bottom. 1. label Amaso. 2. "Přeštice pig" identification stamp on carcasses. 3. Přeštice pork chop being matured. 4. Typical Czech paté
"My father always said that the local breeds were too fat. People have been used to eating lean meat but the fat gives the meat its taste." František brings a new perspective to livestock farming in the Czech Republic, where quantity is more important than quality. "We are sometimes reproached that our products are too expensive. My opinion is that the meat products I sell have great human and animal value. Consumers must realise that eating meat is a luxury. I am convinced that we should eat less meat, but eat quality meat. I remember my parents used to not eat meat every day. Sometimes we only ate meat once a week !"
The consumption of meat in a country reflects its richness. For a good number of developed countries, we are today following generations of women and men who were forced to do without meat (poverty, famines, wars, crises). This observation forces us to admire the progress made by our ancestors in making meat an accessible good, but also to think about the meaning of meat consumption in our modern societies. Is the accessibility of meat products (to the detriment of the well-being of the farmer and the animal) still an objective? Is the modern consumer ready to lead the revolution in his plate, by eating less meat and more quality?
Did you know?
- Resurrect the pig
In 1952, a breeders' association launched a programme to 'resurrect' the Přeštice pig. Due to a lack of remaining individuals and inbreeding, the Přeštice pig was recreated by bringing in new blood from breeds imported from England (Berkshire, Landrace, Welsh) and Germany (Saddleback). It took twelve years for the reconstruction to lead to the recognition of the breed as such. The selection and preservation programme was continued initially with the regular introduction of external breeding stock, culminating in a closed population of Přeštice pigs in 1996. Today, there are 460 Přeštice black sows in the country (the equivalent of two Brittany pig farms!).
Genetics is the central pillar of Bejda's work. The herd has a major role in the conservation and perpetuation of the breed. The sows on the farm come from ten different genetic lines and crossbreeding is strictly controlled to limit inbreeding. Twelve boars bred on the farm are responsible for passing on their genetics through mating. Artificial insemination is rarely used as there is no Přeštice pig semen available from the insemination centres. A few artificial inseminations are carried out using semen kept by a genetic resources research centre, in order to benefit from old genetics.
- Collective farm: how does it work?
At the end of communism, the collectivised countries of the Eastern bloc (Poland, Hungary, Romania, etc.) adopted different strategies for redistributing land that had been taken away by the state. While they all chose, in different ways, to carve up and reallocate the land to their inhabitants, the Czech Republic adopted a unique strategy, which runs counter to the EU recommendations. State farms were given back to the Czech inhabitants in the form of collective farms. Ownership was thus translated into "shares" in the enterprise. This strategy allowed the Czech Republic to be the only country among the decollectivised countries (together with Hungary) to maintain its level of agricultural production after decollectivisation (after a two-year drop in agricultural and industrial production of -72%).
The Mladotice collective farm is a good illustration of the strategy implemented by the Czech Republic. Currently, the farm is owned by 38 co-owners, each of whom owns a share of the 800 hectares of land. The farm as an entity pays its 38 co-owners in the form of rents (renting the land) and benefits in kind (free meals, cereals...). The turnover of the farm that is not dedicated to the running costs of the farm and the remuneration of the co-owners is used for investment. Every 5 years, the 38 co-owners elect a board of 5 representatives who lead the annual meetings and take strategic decisions for the farm.
The Mladotice collective farm is a small structure that is now a minority in the Czech agricultural landscape. The majority of farms in the Czech Republic are giant enterprises owned by a very large number of investors.
Photo. Bejda and one of the twelve boars on the farm
Credits
Many thanks to Anna Grosmanova (Foodpioneer) for putting us on the road to Beja and František. Anna is a member of the Slow Food movement in the Czech Republic and a reporter. She is passionate about food and encourages people to discover the culinary treasures of the Czech Republic by sharing her experiences on her blog: https://www.foodpioneer.cz
Thank you for sharing this day with us and for introducing us to Czech cuisine over a delicious meal in Prague! Our hands will remember the preparation of the pěkná buchta!
All our thanks also go to Bejda and František for their welcome and generosity!
Travelling to Prague? Stop by Naše Maso to taste the excellent meat of local Czech breeds. https://www.nasemaso.cz/en
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