DA urged on city's bid for 'hi-tech' slaughterhouse
Efforts are up anew to seek national support and approval on the city's bid for a slice on the Agriculture Department's Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF).
A brainchild of Mayor Jerry Treñas, the move saw backing from the legislative department following the study made by the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, Aquatic and Natural Resources. Chaired by Councilor Ely Estante, the Committee recognized the need for the ACEF resources while stating that with the declaration of Iloilo City as center of trade for Western Visayas the development of livestock industry in the region is most important.
The proposal intended to seek an interest and collateral-free loan payable in seven years with the Agriculture Department's ACEF. The project as proposed would be a class "AA" abattoir with a total budget of P37.1 million.
If realized, the ACEF loan component will be P10.8 million alongside the City Government's P12.8 million counterpart, Agriculture Department's P11.5 million and some P2 million to be sourced from the Congressional fund.
Estante. in pushing for the loan, said the committee saw the need for the immediate implementation of the project saying "it will greatly support the growth of the hog industry and also of the booming tourism industry in the region as Western Visayas has become a major tourist destination and convention site in the recent years."
"The project will be able to upgrade the quality of meat sold in the region and elevate the status of hotels and restaurants with the presence of modern abattoir," excerpts of the Committee findings stated while adding that such will spur the growth and modernization of the livestock industry in the region and at the same time maximize the potential of the site by utilizing these idle farmlands into an economically viable undertaking."
To note, ACEF resources made possible the construction of the Leganes slaughterhouse located in Barangay Nabitasan of said town. Since the project's realization, lack of users were noted alongside the observation that the facility remains "underutilized."