Don't Wait for Pigs to Fly...Watch Them Dive!

Pigs on farms in central China are given exercises like diving into a pool, all in the pursuit of producing leaner pork.

Published

6 months ago

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Seriously?

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Asia, Seriously?

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China

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pig

Transcript

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL Pig diving in China isn't a form of entertainment, even though it makes for an unusual spectacle. It's a form of exercise. Farmers in Central China are hoping to get their swine mean and lean, so they can bring home the bacon. The pigs are channeled along a chute to a diving pond. They cycle through here anywhere between 3 and 30 times a day. Why? Because less fat means more money. The result is a better quality pig which can sell for nearly three times as much. And breeders say the animals are happier. Farm manager Tian Xilin hooks his swine up to monitors. Until they get a certain amount of exercise, they're not allowed to feed. (SOUNDBITE) Tian Xilin, manager, Ningxi Spotted Pig Industry Development Corporation, saying (Mandarin): "We intend to increase our pigs' amount of exercises to enable them to increase their immunity, so they need fewer injections and medicine, making them healthier and providing us with healthier, safer pork." Food scares around China have prompted breeders to seek healthier alternatives, as more customers demand organic and locally produced food.