JELEBU: Chicken farmers in Negri Sembilan have until the end of the month to comply with a directive to convert to an enclosed system.

This is one of the measures introduced by the state government to eliminate environmental and health problems related to chicken farms.

State Agriculture, Agro-based Industries, Entrepre-neur and Co-operative Development Committee chair- man Datuk Yunus Rahmat said so far only 45 of the 195 registered chicken farms in the state had converted to the enclosed system.

"The conversion is taking place in stages and the state government has been focusing on farms operating in areas like Port Dickson, which being a tourist haven, is plagued by flies," Yunus said.

He revealed that 40 per cent of chicken farms operating in the state were in Port Dickson, and all of them used the conventional farming system, which created the fly problem in the area.
"In total, 151 chicken farms here are operating using the conventional system," Yunus said, adding that those who failed to comply with the directive by May 31 would be served with notices.

Yunus was speaking after opening a state-level seminar on the application of effective micro-organisms in livestock farms. Also present was state Veterinary Services Department director Dr Noor Soeraya Norsham.

Last September, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had said that beginning this year, only chicken farms employing the enclosed system would be allowed to operate and that action would be taken against those that refused to comply.

He also announced that the state government would no longer entertain applications for new chicken farms in the state as there were already enough in operation.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Soeraya said that the number of chicken farms in Negri Sembilan had been reduced from the 230 previously as many small farmers had stopped operating.

"The main reason they cited was that they could not afford the cost of converting to the enclosed system which costs about RM200,000," she said.