PIG FARMING (Phasing out)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, in view of the bleak future of pig farming in Singapore, (a) if he will allow the phasing out of the smaller pig farms which was carried out last year to be continued so as to enable these farmers to use the resettlement benefits to look for alternative means of livelihood, allowing those who wish to remain to do so; and (b) whether he will state his views on the future of those medium-sized pig farmers who were encouraged by the Primary Production Department to extend their farms to a commercial basis and as a result spent large sums of money on such extensions and of those large commercial pig farms which have incurred expenditure of millions of dollars on improvements and developments which are in various stages of completion.

The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Mr Speaker, Sir, I presume that the Member for Punggol is referring to the 71 pig farms on Temporary Occupation Licences in his constituency for which resettlement proceedings had been suspended pending the Government's review of pig farming policy in Singapore. Resettlement proceedings for these farms had since resumed on a voluntary basis. 59 of them had opted for voluntary clearance. They will receive full resettlement benefits averaging at about $190,000 per farm. The option for voluntary clearance will be given so long as farms served with clearance notices are sited on land not required for development purposes, ie the option for the 71 TOL farmers.

Such farmers who choose not to exercise the option can remain on their farms. They can continue with pig farming so long as they can maintain pollution control standards when these are set by the Ministry of the Environment. Otherwise, they will have to convert to non-pollutive farming, such as vegetable farming or fish farming. The Government will assist them in their conversion from pig farming. The cessation of pig farming is not synonymous with clearance from the land. Farmers whose farms are not sited on land required for development purposes will not be served with clearance notices. They can remain on their farms and continue pig rearing for the time being. When the Ministry of the Environment sets pollution control standards, they will be required to comply, failing which they will have to convert to non-pollutive farming. Every assistance will be given by the Primary Production Department for them to do so,

As regards the second part of his Question, 85 medium-sized TOL farms in Punggol were advised by the Primary Production Department during 1983 to amalgamate into larger commercial units so as to qualify for the capital grant to build pig waste treatment plants. 54 of them have since been merged into 36 commercial farms. While topographical surveys have been carried out on them, little development work has been undertaken. With the rescission of the Capital Grant Scheme for the construction of pig waste treatment plants on 22nd June this year, the rationale for these farms to convert into commercial farms no longer exists. So long as they are not sited on land required for development purposes, the farmers will be allowed to remain on them. Should they wish to continue with pig farming, they will, at some future date, be required to satisfy Environment's pollution control standards. Otherwise, they will also have to convert to non-pollutive farming. This principle also holds for the large commercial farms.

The Member for Punggol may like to note that the Government will compensate commercial pig farms for the expenditure incurred in relation to the design and construction of pig waste treatment plants. The total amount of compensation will not be known exactly until all claims have been assessed. It is likely to be in the region of $25 million.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, while those farmers affected would be grateful to the Hon. First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education for his generous reply, I would like to ask him whether other TOL holders of medium-sized pig farms, who are now not affected by this scheme but who may be affected at some future date by land acquisition for development purposes, would also enjoy similar resettlement benefits?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Mr Speaker, Sir, whenever the Government acquires land for development purposes, the usual generous rates of compensation will be paid.

Mr Tang See Chim (Chua Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, Sir, in respect of farmers whose lands have not been served with notices of clearance, would the Government give them an option to elect for earlier resettlement?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, I see no reason why we should give them compensation or resettlement terms when we do not acquire their land?

Mr Tang See Chim: Sir, does the Minister not think that the land would be better used if the Government allowed the farmers to opt for earlier resettlement?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, if the land could be more profitably used, say, for commercial or residential purposes and if the Minister for National Development requires such land, then, of course, the land will be acquired and the generous terms will apply. But just because they may not be able to rear pigs at some future date, at a time when we do not need to acquire their land, there is no reason why we should pay out such handsome sums of money.

Mr Tang See Chim: Mr Speaker, Sir, does the Minister not recall that at the last Budget debate, he said that the Government was subsidizing pig farmers as a result of which he thought that the future of pig farming was very bleak because the land on which pig farms were being used had not been put to its optimum use.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: I did say that, but I did not say that they would be acquired in the next year or two. Farmers will have to be patient. Singapore will develop. The Member for Chua Chu Kang need not worry that between now and the next general elections this will be a major problem in his constituency.

Mr Tang See Chim: Sir, I thought that the whole premise of the Minister's statement that the future of pig farming was bleak was that the land had not been put to its optimum use. Does the Minister now agree that pig farming is, in fact, putting the land to its optimum use?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Yes, of course. But why does he want compensation for his farmers now when we do not require the land?