January 2, 2014

Livestock farmers in the provinces of Tarlac, Batangas, Pangasinan and Ilocos Sur will establish four new slaughterhouses to process meat for local and international markets, with the support of the Philippine Department of Agriculture .

Bamban, Tarlac will get a triple A million poultry slaughterhouse and trading centre worth an investment of PHP120 million (US$2.7 million); while a PHP150-million (US$3.4 million) AAA slaughterhouse for pigs will be built in Tanauan City in Batangas. The Bamban slaughterhouse will process up to 3,500 chicken an hour and the Tanauan plant will be able to process 250 pigs a day, GMA News On-line reported.

Meanwhile, the PHP10-million (US$226,000) AA slaughterhouses in Tayug in Pangasinan and Candon in Ilocos Sur will be able to handle 100 hogs a day.

With the construction of the slaughter houses, the demand for imported meat is expected to reduce. In January-September of 2013, the Philippines imported 153,000 tonnes of choice cuts compared to 134,760 tonnes imported in 2012.

The National Meat Inspection Service and the Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service will help to finance the project with a grant of PHP290 million (US$6.5 million) for the construction of the slaughterhouses. These agencies under the Department of Agriculture will also provide training and technical assistance on running the slaughterhouses.