Multimillion dollar abattoir being built in West Berbice

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 March 2024, 22:35 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana government is constructing a GY$600 million abattoir at Onverwagt, West Coast Berbice, and that facility is expected to be the country’s main slaughtering area, authorities said.

“When completed, the facility will become the main slaughtering area for cattle in the country as Region Five is poised to become the hub for the ‘cattle industry’,” government said.

The state-of-the art abattoir, according to the administration, would prepare the country for new beef markets in keeping with globally recognised health rules. “The abattoir will modernise Guyana’s meat processing capabilities and bring it up to international standards. It will also open up new markets for Guyana’s beef and boost the income of cattle farmers while creating valuable employment opportunities,” the administration added.

Georgetown’s municipal abattoir, once regarded as Guyana’s leading ‘slaughterhouse’ has closed its operations on Water Street, Georgetown.

President Irfaan Ali was joined by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Director General, Madanlall Ramraj and several officials from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) on a tour of the abattoir.

He also toured the modern agro-processing facility at Fort Wellington and encouraged the private sector to get involved.

“Let’s get the Guyana Manufacturing Services Association (GMSA); let them come here and let us give them the facility to start with the farmers in Region Five…They [are] going to bring their equipment and it want it fully operationalised by next week,” Dr Ali was quoted as saying by government’s Department of Public Information.