PROGRESS OF LIM CHU KANG EXPERIMENTAL VETERINARY AND HUSBANDRY STATION

Mr Goh Tong Liang asked the Minister for Commerce and Industry whether he will make a statement on the progress of the Lim Chu Kang Experimental Veterinary and Husbandry Station.

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: Yes, Sir. The Lim Chu Kang District Veterinary Station was planned in 1954 and commenced operations the following year. The extension work done from this station is highly successful and during the last 18 months over 500 stud animals and 1,000 poultry have been bred and distributed to farmers and co-operative societies. There is a long waiting list for such assistance. The pedigree stock at Lim Chu Kang include pigs and poultry presented by the Commonwealth and Australia under the Colombo Plan. Nearly 1,500,000 pigs and poultry have been given protective vaccinations by the team operating from Lim Chu Kang so far this year.

Lim Chu Kang is used to produce improved stock but the normal research work planned for Sembawang has been increased as far as facilities allow since Dr Kelly arrived in Singapore in December. The research work is conducted amongst pigs, poultry and cattle and the work now in progress involves establishing parental strains from which controlled breeding work will evolve. Eighteen strains of pigs have been selected and the progeny which will perform the parental strain are now coming forward and from these the first generation of developed stock will be produced. One thousand two hundred poultry are now growing under trap-nest conditions and the first parental strains will be selected from these birds. Their progeny will not be ready until March because there is no room at Lim Chu Kang to develop this work further. Special poultry extension work is planned for the central station at Sembawang.

There are 40 cows and four bulls from Pakistan at Lim Chu Kang and the first progeny are now being produced. They will be distributed when they reach suitable age.

As facilities for nutritional research do not exist at Lim Chu Kang this work is planned for the central research station which it is hoped to operate at Sembawang.

Although increased inoculation services and also the issue of improved stock from Lim Chu Kang have increased the production of pigs and poultry all over Singapore in recent years, a brief survey made in January this year showed that in the Lim Chu Kang area production was 300 per cent higher than in other parts of the island. This is the more remarkable because four years ago the Lim Chu Kang area was the most poorly developed area in Singapore for livestock. Now, more pigs and poultry are produced there than in any other area of comparable size in Malaya.

One of the most important functions at Lim Chu Kang lies in the benefits from the close associations between the station staff and surrounding farmers, which have induced a degree of trust and faith in Government policy of helping farmers with their everyday difficulties. The operations of the station show very clearly that farmers' troubles require on-the-spot help from officers who know their problems and are equipped to render prompt assistance.

Mr Goh Tong Liang: Mr Speaker, Sir, in spite of the excellent work done by the station may I ask the Hon. Minister whether he is aware that it still cannot cope with the work of meeting the needs of the farmers there?

Mr J. M. Jumabhoy: I am aware, Sir, that there is need for further expansion of veterinary department services to the farmers all over the island, and with that purpose we are now going ahead with building the Sembawang station.