Nanchuk Matdon black pigs shipped from mainland for first time

Nanchuk Matdon, a domestic black pig breed previously raised only on Jeju Island, has been produced and shipped from the mainland for the first time. The Rural Development Administration said the milestone follows the supply of 197 breeding pigs to Sancheong-gun in South Gyeongsang Province beginning last year, and that it plans to use the occasion to expand the breed's production base to the mainland.

The Rural Development Administration held a ceremony and tasting event Monday in Obu-myeon, Sancheong-gun, South Gyeongsang Province to mark the first mainland shipment of Nanchuk Matdon.

Nanchuk Matdon is a black pig breed developed by the National Institute of Animal Science under the Rural Development Administration. Production had been centered on Jeju, but the agency began extending the supply of breeding pigs to the mainland last year at the request of black pig farmers in the Sancheong area.

The initial supply began in May last year, when the National Institute of Animal Science distributed 42 breeding pigs to two farms in Sancheong-gun. Subsequent deliveries brought the total number of Nanchuk Matdon breeding pigs supplied to the area through July to 197.

The pigs shipped this time were born and raised in Sancheong-gun between February and March. Their journey from breeding supply through reproduction and rearing to eventual shipment has established a foundation for producing Nanchuk Matdon on the mainland, not just on Jeju.

Alongside the geographic expansion, the Rural Development Administration is operating a management system to protect the breed's identity and trademark value throughout distribution. All Nanchuk Matdon produced in Sancheong-gun will be handled exclusively by a specialized distributor affiliated with the Nanchuk Matdon Research Association.

The arrangement is designed to prevent mixing with other pork products or misuse of the Nanchuk Matdon trademark, and will be integrated with the existing distribution network on Jeju. The agency said it plans to maintain consistent management of the breed's characteristics and quality even as production expands to new regions.

About 70 people attended Monday's ceremony, including National Institute of Animal Science Director Jo Yong-min, Sancheong-gun County Chief Yu Myeong-hyeon, and farmers and officials involved in the program. Attendees reviewed the process from the initial breeding pig supply to the first shipment, then took part in a commemorative event and tasting session.

The Rural Development Administration said it will strengthen cooperation with Sancheong-gun, the South Gyeongsang Province Agricultural Research and Extension Services, participating farms and the Nanchuk Matdon Research Association. The agency plans to identify challenges at each stage — from feeding and breeding to processing and distribution — and provide the necessary technical support to ensure stable production and broader supply.

"This first shipment is a meaningful achievement that marks the expansion of the Nanchuk Matdon production base — a breed developed by the Rural Development Administration — to the mainland," Director Jo said. "Going forward, we will manage the entire chain from production to distribution in a systematic way to enhance the value of the breed and its trademark, and we will work to establish Nanchuk Matdon as a new source of income for farmers and a trusted Korean black pig breed that consumers can choose with confidence."