site.btaNational Association for Breeding Local Pig Breeds Launches in Stara Zagora

 Trakia University in Stara Zagora hosted Wednesday an event for the establishment of a National Association for Breeding Traditional (Local) Pig Breeds. "This is a landmark event, which is important for the food security of our country", University Rector Prof. Dobri Yarkov said at the signing of the founding documents, as quoted by the University. 

He added that two of the leading Bulgarian universities, Trakia University and the Plovdiv University of Food Technologies, will stand behind the cause "with all their research capacity". Three of the leading livestock farms in the country will be part of the non-profit association as well.

The main goal of the association is to unite the efforts of researchers and businesses for the preservation of traditional pig breeds as a genetic resource. The idea is not only to preserve and revive these breeds, among which is the Eastern Balkan swine, but also to create new disease-resistant hybrid breeds on their basis. "In this way, Bulgarian farmers will be supported as they breed Bulgarian breeds and real work will be put into protecting these breeds as a national genetic fund, but also high-quality and healthy food will be offered to the market for consumers," the Trakia University stated.

At the end of 2023, Trakia University hosted an international scientific forum on the topic of the Eastern Balkan swine with the participation of more than 150 people from several countries.