The Municipality of Nasipit local officials headed by Mayor Enrico Corvera gratefully receives the P9 million slaughterhouse building from the Department of Agriculture-Caraga.

The Department of Agriculture in the region turns over the P9 million “AA” Slaughterhouse Building to the Municipality of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte.

The building project that can cater up to 50 hogs per day is funded under the Department’s Buttom-Up Budgeting.

“With the new facility, consumers in Nasipit and the neighboring areas are assured of clean and safe meat,” said Mayor Enrico Corvera.

Corvera added that the municipality will make sure to maintain the facility and its equipment, sufficient water supply, and proper waste disposal management.

Dr. James Cabrera from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) said that an abattoir that is given an “AA” grade by the NMIS is allowed to market its products anywhere in the Philippines.

Cabrera explained that the priority of NMIS is to strengthen meat inspection in all local government units in the country.

“We will constantly monitor this facilty and make sure that the sanitary condition is well-maintained,” said Dr. Cabrera.

There are three categories of slaughterhouses under NMIS guidelines: Class Triple A or top-grade abattoir, Class Double A, and Class A.

“The slaughterhouse can boost the local meat industry as more investors will be enticed to use the facilities of the municipal slaughterhouse,” said BUB Focal Person Edelmira Luminarias.

With its bigger space, the slaughterhouse can now accept more animals for slaughtering and this would mean an increase in the local government’s income from the slaughterhouse operations. (Fretcher Magatao, DA-Caraga)