Preyer Asks Hog Growers to Make NC Number One in Cleaner Hog Farming

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jane Preyer, 919-881-2912

(February 6, 2007 - Raleigh) The pork industry is at a crossroads, and North Carolina hog growers should ask lawmakers for help in making the state the national leader in clean hog farming.

That’s the message Jane Preyer, director of the North Carolina office of Environmental Defense, will deliver to hog farmers tonight at an annual meeting hosted by Frontline Farmers.

“North Carolina is number two nationally in the number of hogs, and it can be number one in clean hog waste systems,” said Preyer.

Environmental Defense is calling on the General Assembly to replace the moratorium on new hog farms with a permanent ban on open-air hog waste lagoons. The group is asking legislators to require all new hog farms to employ clean waste treatment systems that meet strict environmental standards. Lawmakers should also pass legislation establishing an Early Adoption Program, an incentive-based approach to help hog growers replace existing lagoons with clean waste treatment systems.

Joining Preyer on the agenda are university researchers who will discuss clean technologies for treating waste and Rep. Carolyn Justice from Pender County, who introduced a bill last session calling for cleaner hog farming.
The meeting will be held from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at the Duplin County Agriculture Building in Kenansville.