Shenzhen Must Not Drive Out Legal Pig Farmers in the Name of Industrial Transfer
On December 20, an on-site meeting on the rectification of illegal farming in Shenzhen was held in Guangming New District. Shenzhen plans to promote the relevant practices and experience of Guangming New District throughout the city. Lu Ruifeng, member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Executive Vice Mayor, said that today's Shenzhen is not suitable for pig farming, and even legal pig farmers must relocate out of Shenzhen through industrial transfer. (Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, December 21)
The term "industrial transfer" is undoubtedly a hot topic at a time when transforming the mode of economic development is being championed loudly. However, what I want to say is that Shenzhen must not drive out legal pig farmers in the name of industrial transfer.
Industrial transfer and pig farming - if you want to find a connection, there is one, since pig farming is also an industry; if you say there is no connection, there is none either - does industrial transfer necessarily mean pig farming must be abandoned? Vice Mayor Lu's view that "Shenzhen is not suitable for pig farming" is mainly aimed at the rampant illegal farmers, but the fact that illegal farmers are rampant is no reason to condemn legal pig farmers along with them.
The reasons supporting Vice Mayor Lu's view, according to his explanation, are mainly four - Shenzhen's land carrying capacity is unsustainable, and the city's openness, total sewage discharge, and vehicle ownership have already left Shenzhen overwhelmed. These reasons certainly exist, but which city does not have such conditions? If legal pig farmers are driven out whenever such conditions exist, then pig farmers should perhaps be stripped of their citizenship of Earth and could only go raise pigs on other planets!
Speaking specifically of Shenzhen. If all legal pig farmers relocate out of Shenzhen through industrial transfer, then one asks: will Shenzhen residents still eat pork? Although Shenzhen residents previously could not be self-sufficient in pork, at least they still had pork to eat; if all pig farmers move out of Shenzhen, and Shenzhen residents must rely entirely on "regional cooperation" for pork, can it be guaranteed that Shenzhen residents can eat pork every day? Will Shenzhen residents end up eating "sky-high-priced pork"? Will they be willing to eat "sky-high-priced pork"?
Illegal farming concerns city appearance and environment, food safety, and fire safety, and rectifying illegal farming is indeed very necessary. However, whether rectifying illegal farming necessarily requires relocating legal pig farmers is a question worth discussing. I hope Vice Mayor Lu will not make a decision on a whim - today's Shenzhen is not suitable for pig farming, because we have suffered countless losses from hasty decisions, and we must not repeat the same mistakes!