The Regional Project Advisory Board 1 in Ilocos Norte province in northern Philippines has approved a modern slaughterhouse project in Batac City, under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Scale-Up, paving the way for its construction.
Worth around USD 2.94 million, the construction of the AA-standard slaughterhouse in Barangay Colo will ensure a safer and high-quality meat processing facility in the city, according to Mark Christian Chua, Batac City Mayor.
“This will ensure food safety and support to local producers,” he told a local media.
A World Bank-funded programme originally implemented in 2014, the PRDP aims to increase rural incomes and enhance farm and fishery productivity in targeted areas.
PRDP Scale-Up, meanwhile, is the continuation of the original program designed to respond to the needs for investment beyond what was in the original PRDP.
Government data show Ilocos Norte province as having a strong livestock and poultry industry, recording more than 2.25 million livestock heads in the first quarter of this year. It, however, remains reliant on outdated slaughtering facilities.
Batac City has more than 8,000 livestock raisers who will directly benefit from the project, according to the City Agriculture Office.
The new slaughterhouse is expected to complement the Batac public market and the soon-to-be-completed USD 530,000 agricultural trading centre.