FOOD SAFETY. Undated photo shows the newly turned over "AA" abattoir in Ragay town, Camarines Sur province by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP). The project is estimated to benefit some 6,693 livestock and hog raisers. (Photo from Department of Agriculture-Bicol's Facebook page)
LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Agriculture through the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) has turned over a Class "AA" abattoir to the local government unit (LGU) of Ragay in Camarines Sur province that is expected to help increase farmers' income and fight African swine fever (ASF).
Lovella Guarin, DA-Bicol information officer, said Thursday the 2,000-square meter facility located in Barangay Agrupacion was designed to process 690,361 kilos of hog meat and 78,624 kilos of cattle meat per year.
"It was turned over last March 3, and the project is estimated to benefit 12,333 households in Ragay, Camarines Sur. Aside from the main slaughter building, it has eight hog-holding pens and one cattle-holding pen. It will also benefit about 6,693 livestock or hog raisers, 1,774 Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSABA)-registered farmers, 132 registered meat shop owners, and restaurant/eatery owners in Ragay," Guarin said in an interview.
Aside from Ragay, she said similar "AA" slaughterhouses will be constructed by the DA–PRDP in five other municipalities -- Daraga, Albay; Buhi and Bula, Camarines Sur; and Gubat and Barcelona in Sorsogon with a total cost of PHP264.4 million.
"The Buhi Camarines Sur project has started the construction while the other four are in the procurement stage," she said.
In a statement, DA-Bicol Regional Executive Director Rodel Tornilla said the new abattoir in Ragay will definitely improve the quality of meat produced and will greatly help in the prevention and control of ASF through the thorough assessment of pigs to be slaughtered.
"It will enable our hog raisers and meat vendors to deliver quality meat products to a wider market. More opportunities will be made available to livestock growers as the local meat that will be produced in the facility can now be marketed anywhere in the Philippines,” Tornilla added.
He said the project is expected to increase farmers’ income by 5 percent and annual marketed output by 7 percent.
The construction of the facility started on Dec. 10, 2021, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and was completed on Dec. 12, 2022.
The LGU of Ragay shared over PHP2.7 million as equity to the total project cost of PHP27.9 million.
Class "A" slaughterhouses are those allowed to cater within the city or municipality where they are located, while meat from “AA” slaughterhouses may be brought and sold in other areas for domestic consumption. “AAA” slaughterhouses are those with facilities and operational procedures appropriate for the domestic and international markets. (PNA)
