City sets meeting with DA for improvement of abattoir
The Iloilo City government will confer with officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 6 relative to the acquisition of additional facilities for the slaughterhouse in Brgy. Tacas, Jaro to meet the standard set by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) following the release of P11 million Agricultural Comprehensive Enhancement Fund (ACEF).
City Mayor Jerry Treñas said he will ask the members of the city’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) to meet with DA officials as soon as they already receive the ACEF. This is to ensure that the equipment to be procured by the city government fits the required standard.
Treñas said the agriculture department is more knowledgeable on the kind of equipment required for the upgrading of the slaughterhouse to Double A standard.
In previous interview, Treñas said the city government generated millions of pesos in revenue out of the slaughterhouse operation.
The construction of the slaughterhouse is a DA-initiated project. The abattoir sits in the 2.3 hectares land in Tacas, Jaro. The city government bought the lot as site of the abattoir.
At present, the slaughterhouse has no cattle line to accommodate livestock. The cows and carabaos are still being slaughtered in the old abattoir. The slaughterhouse in Tacas is only for hogs.
Earlier, the NMIS disallowed the shipment of meat products slaughtered at the city’s slaughterhouse in Tacas after it failed to meet the required facility for a Double A standard.
Among the facilities not available in the slaughterhouse are hand washing and foot bath facility, scalding vat for the cattle area and lockers for the butchers.
Treñas also wants to spare funds for the procurement of delivery vans to transport the slaughtered meat products from the abattoir to the different markets and to acquire a generator set.
The chief executive is also considering the cementing of the road leading to the water treatment facility.