Upgrade in the Himalayas

摘要

In the eastern Himalayas between India and China stands the mountainous kingdom of Bhutan, which has become the scene of an unusual project for pig development. Most of the 600 000 people who live in Bhutan are engaged in household subsistence farming. Seeking to raise living conditions in the villages and promote standards of food quality and safety, the kingdom's government has undertaken a programme to improve the physical and economic performance of the pigs distributed to village households from breeding farms owned by its Livestock Department. There is also a long-term aim to establish a domestic production of top-quality fresh and processed pork products, to replace the imports that currently supply town meat shops and tourist facilities.