[imagesource: YouTube / Carte Blanche]

They say good fences make good neighbours.

But fences can’t keep flies out, which is something that those who live near the Nulaid chicken farm in Hekpoort, located around 70 kilometres outside of Johannesburg, know all too well.

Is there anything worse than waking up with a solid hangover and a fly or two buzzing around the room? I’ll wait.

Residents and business owners close to the farm in Hekpoort have more than a fly or two to worry about, as detailed in a Carte Blanche segment that aired on Sunday:

Why would a business that prides itself on producing its popular brand of eggs, at affordable prices and to the highest standards, face calls to close down its facility?

Matters are coming to a head between the listed JSE company that supplies eggs to some of our largest retailers and their neighbours in Hekpoort outside Johannesburg.

Residents accuse the company of being a bad corporate citizen and creating a plague of flies that is destroying the surrounding businesses.

If the word “plague” sounds like an overreaction then go ahead and look at the sheer numbers they’re dealing with below:

You simply can’t live like that.

In response to the segment airing, Nulaid has issued a statement that pops up when you visit its website.

During November numerous complaints were received from neighbours of the Hekpoort farm regarding an increase in fly activity in the area.

Our Hekpoort egg farm has been in operation for more than 30 years and although it is not a modern automated facility, it operates within all the applicable laws and practices. We do recognise that from time-to-time matters may go wrong on a farm, but if that happens appropriate action is always taken…

Egg laying farms are a livestock operation and flies do occur from time to time. They are inherent in such operations. To address these issues, Quantum Foods has a detailed pest control program that is rigorously followed on all its farms.

Detailed and rigorous – it appears that the farm’s neighbours may disagree.

I suppose this is one more benefit of living in the urban jungle that is the Cape Town CBD.

[sources:carteblanche&nulaid]