CHUA CHU KANG CONSTITUENCY (Establishment of modern pig farms)

Mr Tang See Chim: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Government has any plans for the establishment of large modern pig farms with pollution control equipment in the Chua Chu Kang constituency and, if so, when those plans will be implemented and where the farms will be located.

Mr Speaker: Mr Tang.

Mr Ho Kah Leong (Jurong): Question No. 10, Sir.

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, pig farming is a highly pollutive activity. With limited land resources we cannot continue to sustain small inefficient pig farms spread out haphazardly all over Singapore. Besides under-utilizing our scarce land resources, such farms because of their pollutive nature will sterilise large tracts of land which can be used for industrial, commercial or residential development.

The Government has, therefore, decided that in order to control pollution, all future pig farming activities should be concentrated in a relatively isolated agricultural area in the north-west corner of Lim Chu Kang. Large modern commercial farms rearing a minimum of 5,000 pigs each on an intensive basis will be set up. Efficient farmers and other entrepreneurs can apply for land for this purpose.

The Government will provide waste treatment facilities for the pollutive discharge from pig farms at Lim Chu Kang. A levy of $10 per pig slaughtered in Singapore will soon be introduced to enable waste pollution facilities to be set up. It is expected that this levy will increase the retail price of pork by only 15 cents per kati. In return, Singaporeans will be able to continue enjoying local fresh pork at reasonable price.

Land is being acquired at Lim Chu Kang and development work will commence in the near future.

With the development of Lim Chu Kang as a pig farming area, no pig rearing will in future be allowed elsewhere in Singapore. As a first step, the Government will phase out all pig rearing from the catchment areas and river basins in Singapore over the next two years. Thereafter, pig rearing in other areas will be phased out.

Existing intensive pig farms at Punggol will be permitted to remain for the next 10 years. Pig farms at Jalan Kayu which have adversely affected the amenity of nearby residential areas will be phased out earlier, In the phasing-out process, the Primary Production Department will give every assistance to pig farmers who wish to convert to other non-pollutive types of farming.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, if I may be permitted to refer the Hon. Minister to Hansard, dated 16th February, 1977 [Vol. 36, cols. 192-3], a photocopy of which was extended to him by me just now. In that Hansard, I asked a question on pig farming in Punggol, and a reply was given by the hon. Member for River Valley who was then the Senior Minister of State for National Development. He stated, and I quote:

'The very fact that we have given leases of 30 years [i.e. to Punggol pig farmers] we can even speculate that it is very likely that pig farming will be there for 15 to 30 years.'

Sir, if I heard the Minister correctly just now, he said that the Punggol pig farms would be phased out in 10 years. If the statement in the Hansard is correct, there seems to have been a change of policy. Would the Minister then consider enabling the pig farmers in Punggol to continue their pig farming activities for the duration of the lease that they have been given, i.e. between 15 and 30 years? If that is not possible, would the Minister consider paying enhanced rates of compensation for the loss of future earnings, bearing in mind that these pig farmers have been resettled at least three to four times over? I do not know how many times more they will have to be resettled.

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, just now I mentioned that pig farms in Punggol will be permitted to remain for another 10 years. The former Senior Minister of State for National Development mentioned in February 1977 that the pig farms were likely to remain in Punggol for another 15 years. About 2 1/2 years have elapsed. If the pig farmers remain there for another 10 years, that means 12 1/2 years, and the phasing-out process will perhaps take one or two years. The statement that the pig farms will remain in Punggol for another 15 years is, in fact, correct and the Government has not changed its policy.