ILOILO – To provide consumers with premium meat products, the Iloilo provincial government, through the assistance of World Bank, is establishing a Double A abattoir in Sitio Anak Bukid, Barangay Lo-ong, Concepcion town.
The abattoir, situated on a 4,407-square meter lot, has the capacity to cater to 50 heads per day for swine and eight heads per day for cattle, and adheres to the standards of the National Meat Inspection Service.
It features a slaughterhouse, holding pen, boiler and generator set room, water treatment facilities, and decomposting chambers which ensure compliance to animal welfare, food safety, and environmental standards.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. spearheaded the groundbreaking ceremony together with Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) deputy project director Engr. Jose Albert Barrogo, Mayor Milliard Villanueva, municipal officials, and Punong Barangay Rizalino Panes Jr. on March 8.
They were also joined by Provincial Engineer Romeo Andig, Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Darel Tabuada, Provincial Planning and Development Officer Mario Nillos, and Executive Assistant to the Gov. Niel Tupas III.
Engr. Andig said that upon its completion in November this year, cheaper butcher fee for cattle is expected from P2,000 to P800 and from P600 to P405 for swine.
Defensor, for his part, said the facility could also contribute to local economy by providing additional source of revenue through job opportunities and marketable high quality meat.
The governor added that the abattoir could also aid the province in recovering from African swine fever (ASF) by venturing into the pork processing industry.
“We export 8,000 swine heads to Luzon every month but we don’t process pork products. With a high standard slaughterhouse, we can have a processsed pork industry. Instead of exporting heads, we should export processed meat. It will give us additional source of revenue,” Defensor said.
The P29.950-million facility is funded through the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) PRDP.
The World Bank is shouldering 80 percent of the project cost with a counterpart of 10 percent each from the DA and the provincial government. (With a report from the Capitol News)/PN
