Malta’s national pig herd today is based on about 6,000 breeding sows and 420 boars, spread across 160 farms on Malta and Gozo. The breed composition of the national herd changes with time, along with consumer demand.

Most of the pigs on Maltese farms today are of a few highly efficient breeds such as Landrace, Large White, Pietrain and White Duroc, which provide what most Maltese consumers want; pink skins and lean meat at an affordable price. Other countries have their own likes and dislikes. The Spanish, for example, prefer pigs which are fatter and have black skins.

These modern breeds farmed in Malta today have been improved over the years by selection by breeding companies, which have given their own lines of pigs trade-names, such as Meidam, Volante, Titan and PG700.

Malta currently slaughters about 1,600 pigs per week. This is a significant reduction from the 2,400 which used to be slaughtered weekly just a few years ago, although local pork consumption has not reduced. The difference has simply been replaced by lower-quality imported meat products.