FG to partner Butchers’ Cooperative on establishing standard abattoirs

The Federal Government has expressed readiness to collaborate with Livestock and Butchers’ Cooperative Society Ltd (LIBUCOL) to establish standard abattoirs for proper meat processing.

Alhaji Idi Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development, communicated this at a meeting with a delegation from the cooperative society on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the establishment of standard abattoirs and meat packaging mechanisms would enable the nation’s animal products to compete favourably at the international market.

Maiha further said that collaboration with the society in abattoir operations would assist in combating zonotic diseases that are prevalent in the livestock sector.

“Under our common purview, we want to manage or nip the issue of zoonotic diseases in the bud; if not, our meat product cannot compete favourably at the international market.

“We are getting a lot of commitment and interventions by some countries from the Middle East to get meat from Nigeria.

“Therefore, we must up our game and ensure an enabling environment for healthy meat and healthy livestock product out of the country,’’ he said.

He identified other areas of collaboration with the society to include capacity building, establishing abattoir for milk processing and transportation of live animals from a distance.

The minister emphasised that such collaboration would turn the country’s livestock sector around.

Earlier, Mr Ishak Yahaya, President, LIBUCOL, assured the minister of the organisation’s readiness to work closely with the ministry towards the development of the industry.

Yahaya identified strategies crucial for a thriving livestock development in the country as communication and transparency, collaboration, joint advocacy, standardisation, grading, technology and efficiency.

He said the ministry and the society could collaborate to advocate for policies that would be beneficial to the sector through lobbying for improved infrastructure such as standard abattoirs, and streamlined regulations.

“Such partnership will ultimately lead to a more efficient, transparent and prosperous development.

“We want to work with the ministry to establish consistent standards for grading products; this will improve market transparency and reduce disputes,” he said.