Pig Farm Project Needs Balance
SHAH ALAM - A balance between residential concerns and the interests of pig farmers must be found before the proposed centralised pig farming project in Ladang Tumbuk, Tanjung Sepat, is approved.
15 April 2008
3 minute read
Assemblyman Datuk Dr Karim Mansor has said he supports the project, but not the location and greater consideration of residents, including non-Malays, should be taken into account.
"Nobody wants a pig farm in their backyard, but closing down all farms will also be detrimental to the economy. A compromise must be found," he said in a report for the New Straits Times.
Dr Karim, who was responding to claims that he previously supported the RM100 million project but had made an about-turn due to political interest, said he had always supported the pig farming project. He does however, wants the current state government to review its location.
"My stand has always been clear. I supported the move because current methods are untenable, due to pollution from pig farms. My criticism and protest is focused on the location of the project," he stressed.
He has acknowledged that relocating farms out of Tanjung Sepat to non-populated areas was not feasible. A solution may lie in establishing a buffer zone between residential areas and the proposed centralised pig farm.
"I believe a 5 to 10km buffer may be acceptable to all who oppose the project," he said
Prof Dr C.T.Tan, a professor at the Department of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, said farms with modern and sophisticated facilities could also prevent an outbreak of viral encephalitis in pig farming areas, like what happened between 1998 and 1999 in Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.
“Pig farm projects are more of an environmental issue, not a disease issue, how to control it so that it doesn’t pollute the environment.
“It is a good thing to upgrade the pig farm into a modern one so that it would be more environmentally acceptable,” he told reporters after presenting a scientific lecture on “Saga of Nipah Encephalitis”, here, today.
View the NST Online story by clicking here.
"Nobody wants a pig farm in their backyard, but closing down all farms will also be detrimental to the economy. A compromise must be found," he said in a report for the New Straits Times.
Dr Karim, who was responding to claims that he previously supported the RM100 million project but had made an about-turn due to political interest, said he had always supported the pig farming project. He does however, wants the current state government to review its location.
"My stand has always been clear. I supported the move because current methods are untenable, due to pollution from pig farms. My criticism and protest is focused on the location of the project," he stressed.
He has acknowledged that relocating farms out of Tanjung Sepat to non-populated areas was not feasible. A solution may lie in establishing a buffer zone between residential areas and the proposed centralised pig farm.
"I believe a 5 to 10km buffer may be acceptable to all who oppose the project," he said
Scientist Supports Modern Techniques
Meanwhile, a leading scientist has said that modern pig farms can prevent environmental problems that cause water and air pollution,Prof Dr C.T.Tan, a professor at the Department of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, said farms with modern and sophisticated facilities could also prevent an outbreak of viral encephalitis in pig farming areas, like what happened between 1998 and 1999 in Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.
“Pig farm projects are more of an environmental issue, not a disease issue, how to control it so that it doesn’t pollute the environment.
“It is a good thing to upgrade the pig farm into a modern one so that it would be more environmentally acceptable,” he told reporters after presenting a scientific lecture on “Saga of Nipah Encephalitis”, here, today.
View the NST Online story by clicking here.
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