IPOH, Nov 24 — A total of 34 pig farms in Perak have been closed for not fulfilling licensing regulations since the enforcement of the Pig Farming Control Enactment 1992 and Pig Farming Control Methods 2009 (Licence), according to a state executive councillor.

State Health, Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Mohd Akmal Kamarudin said the enactment was enforced on January 1, 2010 and 131 pig farming licences were issued in the same year.

"In January this year, 103 of pig farms were licensed while three farms were closed and three others are in the process of closure.

"This brings the number of pig farms still operating to only 97 so far,” he said in a statement on his official Facebook today.

Commenting on the problem of liquid pig waste disposal and excessive discharge of effluents from farms, Mohd Akmal said the state Veterinary Services Department (JPV) had acted appropriately in line with the enactment to ensure environmental sustainability, especially in checking the frequent incidents of river pollution.

"JPV sets the parameter that effluents discharged from pig farms must have a biochemical oxygen demand reading of less than 50 ppm and chemical oxygen demand reading of less than 500 ppm, as stipulated in schedule two of the enactment,” he said.

He said sampling of effluents was carried out by JPV officers twice a year, with the first phase sampling done between January and June and the second phase between July and December every year.

It was proposed that farms located near rivers work towards adopting the zero discharge system concept which involves treating effluents with chemicals and using the recycled water for cleaning pigsties, he said. — Bernama