Study on the Prolactin Receptor 3 (PRLR3) Gene and the Retinol-Binding Protein 4 (RBP4) Gene As Candidate Genes for Production Traits in Berkshire Pigs (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION The pig population in Korea is mainly composed of highly productive breeds such as the Landrace, Yorkshire and Duroc breeds and their crossbreeds. Berkshire pigs are raised for quality pork, and are publicly known for the quality of their carcass. Niche markets have been reported (Honeyman et al., 2006) for Berkshire pork, including from internet sales, local abattoir sales, direct marketing, farmer networks and targeting of organized groups in the U.S. Even in Korea, the meat of Berkshire pigs is sold as high-quality pork in supermarkets, with a premium price. A study found Berkshire-sired pigs superior in terms of most of their eating quality traits, such as their cooking loss and tenderness (Mabry and Baas, 1998). The productivity of the Berkshire breed is not efficient, unlike other major breeds. Small litter sizes were also observed in Berkshire breeds (Do, 2007b). Mabry and Baas (1998) reported that Berkshire-sired pigs had the most fat and the small loin muscle areas. It was because of this that increasing productivity came to the attention of Berkshire farmers.