Comply with hygiene and operational standards, poultry farmers told

PUTRAJAYA: Poultry farmers in Johor have been given a six-month extension to comply with hygiene and operational standards.

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Chua Tee Yong said that 57 poultry farmers who received orders to cease operations by the Johor Veterinary Services Department's have been given until June next year to improve.

“They have pledged to make the necessary improvements to comply with the requirements.

“However, I hope both parties will improve their communication to avoid future misunderstandings.

“The state authorities should take the initiative to engage the farmers, and the farmers should consult the state authorities on the standards required of them,” he added.

Chua was speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting between representatives of the Department and three poultry associations in Johor.

The poulty farmers had complained to the media that they were asked to cease operations early this month.

They alleged it might have been linked to their refusal to let a private company collect chicken waste from their farms.

The Department had earlier issued them with a notice to improve conditions after it conducted an audit following public complaints.

“The farmers appealed to us in May and we granted them six months to improve,” said the department's director Dr Kamarudin Md Isa.

“However, when we conducted checks recently, we found that many of them still had not improved,” he added.

Responding to the farmers' allegations that the department did not give them details on the improvements required, Dr Kamarudin said some were not present when department officials conducted the checks.

蔡智勇：6個月內須提昇‧柔州57養雞場暫不關閉

Created 12/20/2011 - 18:34

（布城20日訊）農業部副部長拿督蔡智勇今日說，柔佛州獸醫局暫時不會關閉57家被列為E級的養雞場，不過，他們必須在6個月內改善和提昇養雞場的管理、衛生和生物安全等條件。

雞糞問題不存在

蔡智勇聲稱，關於農場被指必須出售雞糞給指定公司的問題並不存在，因為即使是不簽署合約的A級農場，還是一樣保持A等級，不會因此被降級。

他是今日召見柔佛州獸醫局主任卡馬魯丁主任和麻昔禽畜業農友公會，協助解決和斡旋關閉風波，雙方也達致共識和承諾在半年內改善問題。

他說，E級農場必須在通函發出的30天內提出上訴，雙方也積極看待這項問題。
他也促請雙方加強溝通，尤其是在進行監察時必須以圖為證，以讓雞農更清楚瞭解問題症結所在。

他說，柔佛州總共有891間養雞場，只有823間有營運，188家是A級，176家是B級，278家是C級，124家是D級和57家是E級。

他說，柔佛州政府早在今年5月就已準備發出關閉通知，但在他要求下展延，一直到最近才因為問題未見改善，獸醫局才發出關閉通知。

他說，在增產關鍵績效指標下，關閉農場將會打擊雞的產量，因為57家每年的產量達到9千公噸，但最主要還是要確保雞農都受到公平對待。

針對養雞場若在半年內仍無法提昇會面對甚麼後果問題，他認為不應該消極看待問題，更何況這些農場有強烈意願要改善問題。

在蔡智勇（中）的斡旋下，卡馬魯丁與蔡樹民握手，承諾解決問題。右起為黃亞九、林家曾和陳端清，左為李煌治。（圖：星洲日報）