Linking livestock development with environmental protection

The development of livestock and poultry farming in recent times has brought economic efficiency to people in Quang Tri province. However, the problem of environmental pollution caused by waste in livestock and poultry farming activities has also caused frustration for people. Therefore, to bring high efficiency, it is necessary to combine the expansion of livestock farming with ensuring environmental protection for sustainable development.

A livestock farm in Hamlet I, Krong Klang town (Dakrong district) is located in a residential area and does not ensure environmental hygiene - Photo: SH

As of May 2024, the province has a total herd of 21,260 buffaloes, 62,043 cows, 233,928 pigs, and 3,922,000 poultry. There are 697 livestock and poultry farms, of which 23 are large-scale farms; 209 are medium-scale farms; and 465 are small-scale farms.

There are nearly 100 high-tech livestock farms, linked with businesses. Industrial and semi-industrial livestock models applying technical advances such as new high-yield breeds; closed-cage farming, automation of food and water supply, disinfection, etc. are increasingly widely applied.

Solutions applied to treat livestock waste such as biogas and biological bedding are being widely replicated, contributing to improving product quality, economic efficiency and ensuring hygiene and disease safety...

However, according to the legacy data and analysis results of livestock wastewater samples by the authorities at most livestock farms, the parameters all exceed the standards prescribed by QCVN 62:2016/BTNMT, QCVN 40:2011/BTNMT. The analysis results of livestock emissions samples at 10 livestock farms show that the parameters NH3 and H2S are all within the allowable limits of QCVN 05:2023/BTNMT. However, the foul odor from the livestock farms still spreads, causing discomfort to some neighboring residential areas.

The stench spreads within a radius of more than 1 km, so even farms that ensure the distance according to Circular No. 23/2019/TT-BNNPTNT of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are still reported by people. In 2023 and the first months of 2024 alone, many people have reported environmental pollution issues in livestock farming activities to relevant agencies and units.

In particular, the odor pollution from pig farms in Cam Lo, Huong Hoa, Hai Lang, Vinh Linh districts. The reason is that many farms develop spontaneously, without planning and lack of synchronous investment; although there are environmental treatment measures, investment in environmental treatment technology does not meet the actual scale of the farm, so it is often overloaded; environmental treatment is not effective and does not ensure environmental regulations. The number of livestock and poultry farms that carry out environmental procedures according to the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 is still limited.

Many livestock and poultry farms still consider the implementation of environmental records as an administrative procedure, with little relation to reality... Concentrated livestock and poultry farms are often scattered, interspersed and have small land funds, so they do not have enough conditions and funds to build waste treatment facilities to ensure environmental sanitation conditions, causing difficulties for environmental management of livestock farms.

The inspection and handling of environmental pollution violations by competent authorities in livestock farming activities is not regular and the handling of violations is still rare, so it is not a deterrent. Although the awareness of environmental protection in livestock farming activities of people and farm owners has changed a lot in recent times, there are still shortcomings and limitations...

Some livestock and poultry farm owners are not yet fully aware that economic development must go hand in hand with environmental protection, strictly implementing the provisions of the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection...

Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Huu Nam said that the environmental pollution caused by livestock and poultry farming activities occurring in a number of livestock farms in the province in the past time has affected the lives and activities of people; affecting the general environment in the area. Although these farms always comply with the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 as well as comply with licensed environmental procedures and pay attention to building waste treatment systems, under the pressure of recovering and repopulating livestock and poultry, some farms have repopulated before completing the testing of environmental treatment activities, leading to the discharge of large volumes of waste and wastewater through the treatment system that does not ensure environmental issues, affecting the quality of water sources and people's lives, especially threatening the problem of soil pollution.

Currently, in livestock and poultry farming activities, there is an upgrade from individual households and farms to farms, but it is not included in the livestock planning. Livestock farms (formerly farms) are located in residential areas, so the safe distance between farms and residential areas is not guaranteed; the process of treating waste and wastewater from livestock farms still faces difficulties in terms of funding, facilities and technology for treating waste and wastewater, leading to environmental pollution occurring in some places in the province.

To limit and overcome the above difficulties, in recent times, Quang Tri province has implemented many activities to remove difficulties in environmental treatment in livestock farming. The Provincial People's Committee has directed the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to coordinate with departments, branches, districts, towns and cities to continue to strengthen propaganda and dissemination of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, which takes effect from January 1, 2022, including detailed instructions on issues related to environmental protection, especially livestock and poultry farming activities.

Provide guidance to livestock farm owners on environmental procedures; provide guidance, dissemination and information related to environmental treatment systems to livestock farm owners...

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has proactively coordinated with localities, specifically the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of districts, towns and cities to conduct inspections and assessments of the current status of livestock and poultry farms, thereby providing specific recommendations and instructions.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment strengthens coordination with localities and units to organize inspections to detect and strictly handle violations of livestock and poultry farms that do not have adequate environmental treatment systems; do not complete environmental procedures but still conduct livestock farming activities, causing public outrage...

Sy Hoang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/gan-phat-trien-chan-nuoi-voi-bao-ve-moi-truong-186310.htm