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6.5 hectare establishment complex to rise in Calabarzon

June 15, 2021 Cory Martinez 372 views

A 6.5-HECTARE meat establishment complex will soon rise in CALABARZON, which will be used in strengthening the evaluation of meat products in order to improve consumer’s trust in the producers, manufacturers and government.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said that the meat enhancement facilities will be constructed through the “Feasibility Study (FS) on Enhancing Meat Safety and Quality through Establishment of Modern Livestock Infrastructure and Inspection Facilities with Traceability System in the Republic of the Philippines” of the Export-Import Bank of Korea and its Economic Development Cooperation Fund (KEXIM-EDCF), in coordination with DA.

Dar explained that the project is important, critical, urgent, timely and high impact that if successfully implemented will benefit livestock industry.

He also emphasized that the DA has a current system for traceability but it needs to improve in terms of involving state universities and colleges (SUCs) and potential local government partners.

Jonathan V. Sabiniano, Sr. Technical and Planning Officer of the Office of the Undersecretary for Livestock, meanwhile, said that the complex will consists of the slaughterhouse, storage facility, meat cutting and packaging facilities, carcass auction market wholesaling space, and chilling and freezing warehouses.

Other facilities that will be constructed are Meat Academy, a Philippine training center for meat slaughtering and processing; 50-ton capacity feed mill; and the upgrade of the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) and DA-National Meat Inspection System (DA-NMIS) laboratory.

“Ang focus ng feasibility study ay swine industry based sa pre-feasibility study, iyon ang middle o hindi pa masyadong matured [or well-established animal industry in the Philippines]. Unlike sa poultry na matured na or ‘yong sa beef naman na mababa pa ang maturity,” Sabiniano explained.

Sabiniano added that KEXIM-EDCF will also be giving seaport container scanners with interpretation room for the international container terminals in Batangas.

Aside from the construction of the facilities, KEXIM-EDCF will conduct local and international training on traceability system; genetic improvement of swine; entrepreneurial skills; and operating the Meat Academy, meat complex, feed milling, container scanner, and laboratory equipment.

As part also of the said feasibility study, Korean consultants of KEXIM-EDCF, together with the DA IV-CALABARZON (DA-4A) Regulatory Division, DA Bureau of Animal Industry-Veterinary Quarantine Services Division IVA (DA IVA BAI-VQS 4A), and DA-National Meat Inspection System (DA-NMIS) inspected the current and the site of the on-going construction of the new Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RADDL) facility and the port of Batangas. The result of the inspection will be considered during the construction of the facilities.

“Your facilities are very excellent and also facilitating very well. We’re very pleased to see the buildings and operations here. CALABARZON is very careful in hog production so I think it should have the husbandry, slaughtering, and processing inspection. I think you need to established a very modernized and global standard meat processing facilities. We will discuss the result and decide which is the best site for the facilities,” Steve Park, Korean consultant, said.

“Nagpapasalamat kami sa DA-4A sa accommodation and support. Katulad ng nabanggit ni Regional Technical Director Dennis [Arpia], full support sila [DA-4A] rito. ‘Yong [Korean] consultants, sabi nila, they will be working for the development of the livestock industry dito sa Pilipinas. Lahat ng mga kailangan natin, ‘yon ang ilalagay nila sa report nila,” Sabiniano added.

The target date of construction of the said facilities will be in year 2023 and probably end in 2028.

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