Plan puts end to pigs in delta cities

GUANGZHOU: No new pig farms will be allowed to be built near waterways in the Pearl River Delta, as Guangdong seeks to protect its natural resources and develop large-scale pig-rearing bases in less populated areas, the provincial government said yesterday.

The blueprint for pig farming for 2008-20, drafted by three government departments, also said rearing pigs will be prohibited in areas that are home to sources of drinking water.

Regional governments are being urged to make use of hills and wasteland for pig farms, to avoid occupying arable land.