Expert:
Ding Li, a researcher with the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences believed that pig breeding is a valid and necessary industry that promotes city life. A ban on pig breeding would deprive pig farmers of their right to raise pigs. A lazy government makes this kind of decision. Granted, to some extent it's reasonable for the Dongguan government to impose a ban on pig breeding in order to develop the most competitive industries. But instead of imposing a ban on pig breeding, the government should work out related management regulations and policies that would standardize the pollutant discharge from the pig breeding industry and simultaneously raise the standards for pig breeding. This would guide the pig breeding industry to develop in an environmentally friendly way. As a result, those piggeries failing to meet the requirements would gradually be edged out of the market.
Pig breeder:
Peng Guoping is a pig breeder from the Xiegang town of Dongguan. "I have been raising pigs since 1981. I cannot accept the deadline for the ban on pig breeding. Since people have to eat pork, why not let us raise pigs? Did the government consider the interests of our pig breeders when making this decision? What shall we do? The government has never given us any instructions on pig breeding and pollution treatment. If the government issues instructions, then the pig breeding industry could become a green industry by recycling its resources. I cannot see any reason why the government has to ban all pig farms. We feel very worried and bewildered as to what we would do if the ban on pig breeding really goes into effect in 2009," he told the Decision-making magazine.
