The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to pilot "Pig Production Management Certification" starting this year.

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Han Ju-hong = The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 3rd that it will start a pilot operation of the "Pig Production Management Certification" from the second half of this year, which allows consumers to check the breed and meat quality characteristics of pork through a QR code. This certification will authenticate farms that differentiate their breeds and farming methods at the production stage, and pork from certified farms will be distributed separately. Consumers can check information such as the lineage and meat quality characteristics of the pork, and usage methods by part, through the QR code attached to the packaging at stores. Currently, 98.6% of the pigs raised domestically are 3-way crossbreeds (YLD·LYD) that prioritize productivity, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs explained that this has been a limitation in meeting consumer demand for high-quality and differentiated products. The Ministry plans to certify farms with a quality management system based on scientific data and strengthen post-certification management through DNA testing and distribution stage monitoring to ensure that pork from certified farms does not mix with ordinary pork. An official from the Ministry said, "We are promoting the production stage certification system to improve the excessive fat problem of pork belly and to differentiate meat quality," and "We will induce improvements in farming methods for farms and enable consumers to choose various qualities of pork."