Banned antiobiotics given to Thai pigs to speed up growth.

THAILAND - The Agriculture Ministry yesterday seized some 10,000 pigs in Prachuap Khiri Khan as they were given carcinogenic feed to hasten their growth. After inspecting 400 farms with more than 200,000 pigs in the province, the ministry decided keep the 10,000 for 70 days and ban them from sale.

The pigs came from eight farms which had been feeding them with prohibited substances, Agriculture Minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan said yesterday.

Four farms were found feeding pigs with nitrofuran and furasolidone, antibiotics banned as carcinogenic, Sudarat said. Another four used carbadox, a diarrhoea drug which can also cause cancer in humans banned from importation into Thailand three years ago.

The eight farms will be charged with breaching the Animal Food Restriction Act, and owners will be subject to prison terms of up to one year or fines up to Bt10,000, she added.

Sudarat said she had instructed Livestock Development Department director-general Yukol Limlamthong to investigate the company that imported the substances for smuggling, punishable by up to five years imprisonment.

A reward has been set for information leading to the arrest of the importer in order to motivate officials and farmers, she said, adding that if the forbidden substances were found to have been smuggled via a border checkpoint, the checkpoint’s officials would also be punished.

Sudarat said she would soon announce an eradication campaign against prohibited substances across the country, especially in pig-breeding provinces such as Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Chachoengsao.

To continue reading this article please click here

Source: The Nation

© 5M Enterprises Ltd.
2000 - 2007
No part of this site may be
reproduced without permission

5M Enterprises Ltd., 4 Haywood House, Hydra Business Park, Nether Lane, Sheffield, S35 9ZX, England.

Co. Registration 3332321 - A Benchmark Holdings Ltd. Company