Agriculture 101: Navigating the Challenges of Tenacious Pig Farming

In Malaysia, the pig farming industry has been transitioning towards modern practices to enhance sustainability and biosecurity. As of recent reports, there are approximately 544 pig farms in the country, contributing to a self-sufficient local pork demand of 96%. The industry has faced challenges such as the need for costly upgrades to green farming systems and the threat of diseases like African Swine Fever, but it remains a significant part of Malaysia’s agriculture sector, with a standing pig population close to 1.4 million. Image source: Raw Pixel

RPK said that the spinning machine is spinning out of control and it is more so after the general election. After a long, long time, I watched the 8 o’clock news on TV3 – perhaps curious about how the TV station is “presenting” its news now (after the position of the opposition just got better), and perhaps nothing was interesting on the other channels.

The spin

The issue of centralized pig farms in Selangor was raised again. The TV station claimed that the State Government (they used the term “mixed government” – to connote, er, what?) was going against the wishes of the people. They claimed that it would cause massive pollution and therefore the “people” were angry about this project.

Then mention of the Sepang F1 International Circuit and the Bagan Lallang area was made together with snippets of a beach (implying that the pig farm will pollute this beach).

Then (as I expected), a short interview with the “angelic-looking” Khir Toyo was shown where he condemned the project and said that the State Government should have an open talk with the residents in the area before even agreeing to the project (tell me how many times the local government had “open talk” with residents and adhered to it?).

The truth

Those who do not know the truth, will probably fall for the spin, waste their time, and be upset with the “arrogant” State Government. But a spin is a spin nonetheless where the truth is hidden and lies are made up as the holy truth. The TV station “conveniently” failed to mention a couple of important facts such as:-

• Khir Toyo’s Administration originally mooted the centralized pig farming
• The pig farm is using the latest technology to avoid any pollution & outbreak of diseases.
• The centralized pig farm will eliminate the sporadic pig farm problem (the same problem faced by Malacca – read Malaysiakini’s report titled “M’cca CM flamed over blog post on pig farm”).
• Not all people are against it – the majority of them support this project

EIA Study

If the centralized pig farm eliminates pollution, where is the EIA study confirming this? Veera Pandiyan wrote this in theStar and asked the same question. He said:-

I don’t remember seeing reports about Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s plan to call foreign experts to assess the pig farm project and support its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study to ensure the public.

Nor that the previous government did the original EIA or that the new administration had three options to resolve the issue – allow dirty farms to exist all over the state and continue to pollute the environment, close all down, or locate them to the proposed new state-of-the art pig farm area.

Perhaps Pandiyan should look at this piece in Sin Chew instead:-

He (the Selangor MB) said the Selangor government will hire foreign to carry out an in-depth study to support the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study as an assurance to the public that there would be no problems arising from the implementation of the project, which was expected to take a year, according to Bernama.

He said the EIA study had already been done by the previous Barisan Nasional state government which had also visited such operations in Germany and the Netherlands to see the technology being used at the facilities.

“We are very transparent about the project and will inform the people accordingly, so that they will understand what we are doing.

“We will disclose the actual cost of the project, the size of the area involved, number of breeders and number of pigs to be reared at this modern facility,” he told reporters after opening the annual general meeting of the Gabungan Ikhtisas dan Usahawan Bumiputera Anak Selangor (GIBS), in Shah Alam Friday (12 Apr).

Khalid was responding to the statement by Environmental Protection Society Malaysia adviser Dr Gurmit Singh who asked that the findings of the EIA study be made public.

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Modern Pig Farm

What does this mean? I am not sure of the details of the “technology” to be used in Selangor, but that does not mean new technology cannot solve the age-old pig-related problems in Malaysia.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have proposed several new technologies to control air and water pollution generated by pig farms:

Biogas Capture Systems

These systems involve covering waste lagoons to capture methane emissions, which can then be used as a renewable energy source.

Air-tight Lagoon Covers

Installing air-tight covers on hog waste lagoons can prevent runoff into water bodies and reduce odor issues, improving local environmental quality.

Advanced Waste Treatment Options

Research into more sophisticated waste treatment methods, such as anaerobic digestion, can help in converting waste into useful byproducts while minimizing environmental impact.

Nutrient Recovery Technologies

Technologies that recover nutrients from waste can transform potential pollutants into valuable fertilizers, reducing the need for synthetic alternatives and preventing nutrient runoff.

Integrated Farming Systems

Implementing systems that integrate crop and animal production can create a more sustainable cycle of nutrient use and minimize waste output.

These technologies not only aim to mitigate pollution but also enhance the sustainability and efficiency of pig farming operations. The ongoing research and development in this area reflect a commitment to environmental stewardship and community health. For more detailed information on these technologies, you can refer to the sources provided in the search results.

Or read about the study titled “Economic Impacts of Installing Innovative Technologies on North Carolina Hog Farms” that was published by Environmental Defense and Wilbur Smith Associates.

Consider the above before falling for spins in the mainstream media – they may not be “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”.

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