PHASING OUT OF PIG FARMS

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for the Environment, in view of the Government's pronouncements to phase out pig farming altogether, what steps are being considered to compensate adequately the medium-sized pig farmers who were encouraged by the Primary Production Department to extend their farms and others who were encouraged to set up pig farms on a commercial scale.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and Information and the Minister for the Environment (Dr Lee Boon Yang) (for the Minister for the Environment): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister,

Sir, following the decision to phase out pig farming in Singapore, a decision which was made while the Primary Production Department was under the charge of the former First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, the Primary Production Department has been transferred to my Ministry.

Since the transfer, which was effective on 2nd January 1985, my Ministry has set to work to prepare an implementation plan to phase out pig farms in Singapore. I would like to assure the hon. Member for Punggol that phasing out will be done in stages. We will also take into account the timing, availability of an alternative supply of pork and resenlement of affected farmers in order to minimize hardship to these farmers. The details will be announced shortly to hon. Members with the distinction of having pigs in their constituency.

Mr Heng Chiang Meng (Jalan Kayu): Sir, may I ask the Parliamentary Secretary whether these details will also include the pig farmers on TOL presently in my constiuency, and also whether, although they are on TOL, the compensation that may be given to them could be accelerated because sooner or later these people will have to be actually resettled?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have just informed the House, in reply to the question from the Member for Punggol, that the Ministry is working out an implementation plan. I would like to assure the Member for Jalan Kayu that his pig farming constituents will also be given due consideration in this implementation plan. We will take into consideration any request for resettlement and compensation by pig farmers who wish to voluntarily cease pig farming if the land is required for other public projects.

Since I am on my feet, Mr Speaker, Sir, may I be allowed, in anticipation, to say to the hon. Member for Chua Chu Kang, who is not in this House at the present moment, that his constituency will also be one of the constituencies where there are groups of farmers that we will consider in our implementation plan.

Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications and Information and the Minister for the Environment, how long it will take his Ministry, ie, the Ministry of the Environment, to consider this implementation plan; when will this plan be implemented, and whether he is aware that the answer he has given does not explicitly cover the main question that I posed?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, my Ministry, as I have said, is still considering various options that are available to us in the phasing out of pig farms in Singapore. We expect to be able to come to a conclusion very soon and we will make an announcement, as I mentioned earlier, in particular, to the three Members who have pig farmers among their constituents.

The question of compensation that was raised by the Member will be part of the overall solution to this problem, a solution that we will provide to all farmers who are affected by this phasing-out programme.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I further ask, in relation to this problem, whether the Parliamentary Secretary is aware that compensation to the pig farmers - if it is not relevant, Sir, I may be out of order - who have tried to comply with the policy of installing pig waste treatment plants has not been adequate?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the policy of encouraging pig farmers to set up waste treatment plants was rescinded sometime last year, and since then farmers who had embarked on such a programme and had incurred expenses were invited to submit their claims for a reimbursement of those expenses. This Ministry is still in the final stages of coming to an agreement with a small number of farmers who have not accepted in full the offer of payment by our Ministry. I would like to say that, overall, more than 90% of the farmers who have incurred such expenses have already come to an agreement with our Ministry with regard to the quantum of compensation for the cost that they have incurred.

Mr Heng Chiang Meng rose ---

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam (Anson): Mr Speaker, Sir, I do not have any pig farmers in my constituency but may I ask a supplementary question. I am sorry. You have the Floor.

Mr Heng Chiang Meng: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask if the Ministry, in considering the compensation for the pig farmers, will also consider in their plans those who want to voluntarily give up their farming activities, although the Government may not require their land for any form of clearance at this stage?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, many of the pig farmers are operating their farms on Temporary Occupation Licences (TOL). If their farms are occupying lands that are required for other development purposes, they will be resenled and they will be paid an ex gratia payment. For those who at this present moment so decide by themselves that they want to voluntarily quit pig farming and since the Government does not have an immediate need for that piece of land, I think there is no particular reason to offer compensation. But if this phasing-out of pig farming is carried out because, as I said, of other public development projects, then of course there will be compensation paid.

Mr Jeyaretnam rose ---

Mr Speaker: Have you got pig farming in your constituency, Mr Jeyaretnam?

Mr Jeyaretnam: No, I do not have, Mr Speaker, Sir. I said that, but may I be allowed to ask a supplementary question?

Mr Speaker: All right.

Mr Jeyaretnam: It is regarding the compensation that is paid to these farmers on account of their investment on waste treatment plant. I understood from the Parliamentary Secretary that 90% had accepted this. May I know whether they have been paid in full, the loss that they have suffered as a result of this investment, or are they only being paid a partial amount?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Anson has a habit of smelling a rat when there is not any around. He has a suspicious turn of mind. What I said earlier on was that the Government has come to an agreement with 90% of the farmers who had incurred expenses as a result of the programme to require them to set up waste treatment plants. All these expenses have been documented and the Committee has reviewed all the claims to the expenses, and where each and every expense is justified it has been reimbursed in full.