December 6, 2007

China's Dongguan reiterates plans to ban pig farms by 2009

Dongguan authorities underscores the ban of all pig farming from 2009 amid talk of pork price hikes, as part of efforts to clean up the environment.

Li Xiaomei, Dongguan vice mayor, said the ban would be carried out in four phases.

Chinese officials will inspect pig farms that are allowed to operate before the deadline and make public their decisions by December 15. Up to 433 pig farms in 10 Dongguan towns, rearing 100,000 pigs, have secured temporary operation passes.

The pig farms will have to meet seven conditions - including being located in approved areas for pig-farming; not disrupting the lives of residents; not spoiling the appearance of the city and not polluting water resources.

Pig farms that fail to meet the conditions, even the ones with temporary operational passes, will be closed down by the end of this year, Li said.

Meanwhile, Dongguan trade and agriculture agencies have selected 51 pig farms outside the city to supply 4 million pigs annually, to satisfy the demand for pork.

Ye Jinrui, deputy director of the agriculture department in Dongguan, said the local government also plans to increase the number of pig suppliers outside the city to double the supply to 8 million annually by the end of this year.

Li pointed that the amount of pigs in stock from January to October was 750,000 which produces as many pollutants as a human population of 4.5 million.

Dongguan environmental protection chief Yuan Shaodong said only few farmers treat their waste and this is leading to pollution problems.