VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi must complete its livestock and poultry slaughter system plan by this month and co-operate with surrounding areas to control livestock and poultry transport by the middle of December, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said at a conference on Sunday.

Speaking at the conference on managing poultry slaughter transport and trading, Nhan said Ha Noi must become an exemplary symbol of slaughter system planning by reducing the number of sub-standard abattoirs and embracing modern technology.

"Livestock and poultry slaughtering is the main income for many people. They must be a part of the city's system plan or the city must help them switch jobs," he said.

Currently, about 26 cities and provinces are yet to develop a slaughter system plan.

According to the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the city aims for 50 per cent of livestock and poultry products to be slaughtered and processed at modern industrial slaughter houses by 2015.

There are approximately 18 standard industrial abattoirs in the city. However, most have halted operations or are working at reduced capacity as their trade has been poached by sub-standard slaughters.

In the meantime, roughly 3,000 slaughter houses are operating in residential areas and up to 2,540 of them fall well below expected quality levels.

Director of the department Hoang Thanh Van said that many slaughter houses failed to meet food hygiene requirements with no waste water treatment system, no regular quarantine, substandard processing equipment and unhygienic water use.

The situation is the same in northern Vinh Phuc Province, which is home to 1,100 sub-standard slaughter houses.

Director of the provincial department Nguyen Tien Phong admitted there were some abattoirs slaughtering animals right next to the river, discharging waste water into the river and use its water to clean the meat.

Phong said there was only one industrial abattoir in the province with a capacity of 500 poultry per hour, but in fact, it has been only operating once or twice per week.

According to officials, loose management from local authorities leads to traders slaughtering smuggled, sick or dead animals. The price of these products is usually much cheaper than that of standard abattoirs.

In terms of transport, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu said the ministry was building a project to curb all illegal livestock and poultry transportation.

Tu said, "difficulties arise where violators use passenger buses and motorbikes to transport animals, while only traffic police have the authority to stop them, meaning many are able to escape."

Deputy PM Nhan asked the ministry to complete the project and report to the national food hygiene and safety steering committee by the middle of November.

The ministry is also required to help the city work with 11 localities to tighten animal transport by next year.

Addressing the problem of smuggled chickens in the city's Ha Vy Market, Nhan asked the ministry and police to promply set up measures to bring the situation under control by the end of next month.

VietNamNet/VNS