THE high cost of building a modern slaughterhouse remains a major challenge as Government plans to relocate ageing abattoir facilities and train workers for overseas employment.
Minister for Agriculture Tomasi Tunabuna said constructing a new, high-standard facility required significant investment.
“To construct a modern, high-tech slaughterhouse or abattoir is normally very expensive,” he said.
“Expensive in the sense that we have to have some standards comparable to those that do similar work for meat processing now.”
He said growing concerns about the current slaughterhouse locations in Nakasi and Vuda have intensified calls for relocation.
“We have tried to do as much as we could to improve the slaughter facility and also to address some concern that normally comes to us in terms of recycling of waste material and also the smell that’s more associated with the current infrastructure we have in Nakasi.”
Beyond meat processing, the minister said the proposed facility would serve a wider national purpose by training workers.
“We would also want to use the same slaughter facility as a training facility for those that would want to be trained,” Mr Tunabuna said.
He said the facility would prepare workers for overseas employment in countries like Australia, and training provided will help meet standards that are required by the labour mobility scheme.
“We are also conscious of the fact that we are losing out labourers, but if we can provide skilled workers, we probably can guarantee a better return.”
He said there will need to be a close consultation with the Ministry of Lands to look at the most appropriate site to construct the next slaughterhouse.
