MITIGATING measures were put in place by employees of the Benguet State University (BSU) poultry farm after residents in Barangay Balili, La Trinidad, complained about the unpleasant smell and the lack of sanitation.

After the swarm of calls from residents, Village Councilman Billy Bilango wrote the Municipal Health Services Office (MHSO) to inspect the poultry farm, which was found to have no vermin abatement program.

The MHSO report added application of vermin control should be practiced to prevent the presence of pest and reduce unpleasant odor coming from the farm.

BSU poultry farm office-in-charge Diego Dumapis said immediate action were taken with 580 sacks of carbonized rice hull placed to control the unpleasant smell coming from the manure.

Aside from the rice hull, Dumapis said they plan to build a manure catchment to help sanitize the area while applying insecticide on manure to reduce the population of adult maggots.

In the submitted initial report by the MHSO based on the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, design standards and requirements of medium and large scale piggery and poultry farms should be at least 1,000 meters away from residential, commercial, institutional and industrial areas.

Poultry farms should also be 200 meters away from major roads and highways.

The farm has 11,000 chicken which also supplies egg in the local market.

Meanwhile, sanitation inspector Shannon Baroy said the municipal health office will closely carry out routines and monitor inspections in the vicinity of the poultry farm.