At the beginning of the 20th century it was one of the lords and masters of Galician farms, but as time went by and the emergence of new breeds that grew faster and were more profitable for farmers, the Celtic pig was almost consigned to oblivion. Or something worse. When a group of breeders began working to save it in the late 90s, they managed to identify only 190 specimens spread across isolated areas of the provinces of Lugo and A Coruña. The reality today is quite different. The Celtic pig herd is much larger, there are entrepreneurs starting their own breeding, and farmers have gained institutional support.

The goal: To reintroduce a meat whose price is already close to that of Iberian pork.

Why Celtic? It may not be as famous as Duroc and the Large White or Manchado de Jabugo variety, but Celta pork is a cataloged breed with a long history behind it. In reality, this label includes various racial groups, starting from a common trunk, Celta, and mostly concentrated in Galicia. It has a common ancestor with the “Iberian proboscis”. Sus scrofa ferusbut they both followed different paths.

“The Cetic breed group spread more or less throughout the north and north-west of Spain, giving rise to many breeds that are more or less hybridized today, such as the Chato Boar from Victoria, the Lermeño from Burgos, the Catalan from Vich, the Asoporcel association, “The Molinés of Guadalajara, the Alistanos of Zamora, the Galicia or Celtas, and most of the others in Central Europe and Portugal are lost,” he explains.

So how are they? There are three main varieties that differ mainly in pigmentation. They are generally large animals, weighing between 150 and 250 kilos depending on gender, and they attract attention with their large heads, long and narrow necks, solid rib cage, drooping rump, muscular backs and long, strong limbs.

Its breeders particularly highlight its “juicy and tender flesh” with its intense red color. Another key that is often featured is extra virgin oil, a butter that allows you to get valuable legs. few days ago Country He dedicated a report to him in which he explained that they could pay around 200 euros for a ham cured for 24 months, or even 350 euros for the best ham. However, although there are already some chefs betting on Celtic, it remains much less famous than other Spanish pork products such as Jabugo.

From being king to staying in the “14%”. Neither the taste of its meat nor the deep-rooted tradition of animal husbandry prevented the last century from being a real period of ups and downs for the breed in Galicia. The Ministry of Agriculture also acknowledges this in its dossier on the Celtic pig: until the 20th century it was the “most important species” in the region, but from the 1950s onwards it fell into decline with the introduction of new species. Profitable pork for farmers.

Farms began to bet on specimens that grew faster and gave more yield, and in 1951 the weight of Celta in Galicia was already very low, but 14%. It is said that it almost disappeared from the region in the late 80s.

And his luck changed. Their luck changed in the late 90s. In 1999, the Celta pig breeders association (Asoporcel) was established and the breed began to make a comeback. On their website, they recall that despite decades of decline, “there are still many families in rural areas of Galicia who raise pigs of this type” so that their meat is tasty. “Some isolated specimens, although no longer catalogued, were preserved in pockets of Galicia this way,” he explains. By 2000 breeders had identified 190 specimens.

Dossier on Celtic pig from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Now the Celta is included in the Official Catalog of Livestock Species of Spain as a native Spanish species in danger of extinction, its characteristics are well described and its population is slowly but clearly increasing.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture census, there are 433 breeding females and 92 males by the end of 2023. In total, the number of animals increased to 2,325 females and 2,046 males; 4,371 samples spread across 136 farms. At the geographical level, it is concentrated in four provinces of Galicia. Asoporcel mentioned the existence of approximately 700 breeding sows and 180 stallions in 2019.

catching farmers. The Celtic boar managed not only to strengthen the herd. Its breeding has attracted the attention of new farmers interested in breeding, such as Carlos Teijeiro, who took the reins of a family business in Sarria, Lugo, a few years ago and decided to bet on the improved breed in the 90s.

few weeks ago Country Teijeiro stated that his current goal is to promote the largest farm of the kind in Galicia, “a large 20-hectare animal farm with ecological and animal welfare certification.” He’s not the only one. Galician media reported other similar cases in Mariña Lucense or Bergantiños, where there are also people who specialize in breeding them.

Corporate support. Asoporcel’s work and the support of the Galicia administration are in their favor. In September, Xunta announced its commitment to “continue to promote” the native breed, which included, among other things, signing a deal worth over 500,000 euros with the breeders’ association. Lugo County Council also wants to support a breeding and promotion center for the breed in grana, a project that will have an investment of over one million euros.

A hidden weight in the market. Of course, it’s not all about facilities or strengths. Although there are currently around 140 animal farms with around 5,000 Celtic pigs, their weight in the industry is still small, quite small to be precise. Its annual production is around 200,000 kg of certified meat, a lower figure compared to the approximately 53 million pigs slaughtered in Spain in 2023 and the five million tonnes of meat produced in 2020.

challenges. Celtic don’t just represent a very small part of the industry. Its own breeders admit that after decades of being forgotten, and despite growth since the late ’90s, the census “is still far from the point where it will no longer be considered an endangered species.” In fact, family-type farms with up to five breeding females in production and devoted mainly to raising piglets stand out.

Another challenge for farmers in a rural area where small-scale farming is heavily practiced is having large areas of land where animals can move. The growers managed to reach agreements similar to the one reached with Monte Vecinal Mancomunado, Carballo parish in Friol.

In 2019, Asoporcel announced that it was able to develop a special initiative here; A farm classified as an industrial feedlot where lots of 50 to 100 pigs are offered for fattening. “We work with local forests because they are a real natural weeding tool that helps prevent fires,” he says Country Iván Rodríguez is the technical director of the growers association.

Pictures | MAP-Asoporcel 1 and 2

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