VietNamNet Bridge – Ha Noi People's Committee Vice Chairman, Tran Xuan Viet, has called on small, private household slaughterhouses in both urban and country areas to shut down.

Chickens are slaughtered and cleaned at a stall near Ha Noi's Thuong Dinh Market. The capital city is looking to close household slaughterhouses in both urban and country areas on safety concerns.

Data from the Ha Noi Department of Industry and Trade reveals that 70 per cent of consumed meat produced in household abattoirs fails to meet hygiene and food safety standards.

In Ha Noi, it is not uncommon to find that poultry, pigs and even cattle are killed and prepared for market by members of one household inside or outside their home. The practice is illegal.

In the meantime, the People's Committee has asked local authorities to watch the operations of small abattoirs in and around the city to ensure that they at least conform to hygiene standards.

Household abattoirs are prevalent in built-up areas, such as Ha Dong and Thanh Xuan districts.

Statistics from the Ha Noi Department of Industry and Trade show that an estimated 272,000 tonnes of meat was consumed in the city last year or an average of 745 tonnes a day.

Viet also asked the People's Committee to set aside land for both public and private cattle and poultry abattoirs and encourage the private sector to invest.

Thanh Oai district's People's Committee Chairman, Nguyen Hong Yen, said that a plan for a 4.4 hectare public slaughterhouse complex had been approved by the city administration in 2012.

The district has yet to receive about VND35 billion (US$1.6 million) to build the complex from Ha Noi People's Committee.

"The abattoir will be ready in 2015 if the city administration transfers the money for land clearing and primary infrastructure now", he said.

The Minh Hien Co. Ltd in Bich Hoa industrial park complained to Ha Noi People's Committee that it had invested more than VND10 billion (US$480,770) to build an abattoir complex but had only been able to lease more than half of its space.

The company official Nguyen Thi Hien said the local authorities had not been strong enough to enforce the Government policy to move private slaughtering households into the complex.

VNS/VNN