KOCHI: In an eco-friendly move that will also indirectly benefit around 3,000 farmers, Meat Products of India (MPI), the only public sector undertaking in the state engaged in meat processing, will open its pollution-free, high-tech slaughterhouse and meat-processing plant at Edayar near Koothattukulam on Saturday.
Animal Husbandry Minister K Raju will inaugurate the plant, which is spread over 26 acres and can process and store 200 tonnes of frozen meat. Anoop Jacob MLA will preside over the function at 4 pm, while Jose K Mani MP will deliver the keynote address.
Built at a cost of `31.02 crore, the plant can process 200 cattle and pigs each daily. Under a programme to be implemented under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, calves will be given to farmers for rearing and will be bought back from them on market value.
“The project will contain the spread of diseases that takes place due to consumption of meat processed in an unhygienic and unscientific manner. Most abattoirs, even those under local self-governments, function like this. In many areas, the waste the units generate contribute to the stray dog menace. We can provide healthy meat processed scientifically to the local self-governments,” said MPI managing director M S Bijulal in a statement.
“MPI will also take an initiative to provide training to butchers here to ensure abattoirs in the state function as envisaged by the government,” he said.Various plants like a bio-gas plant, a rendering plant, an effluent treatment plant and a facility to produce value-added products will also be there.
MPI will start direct selling points under the Animal Husbandry Department in all districts on an immediate basis. It is also planning an initiative to get products of other public sector undertakings such as Milma, Mastyafed and Horticorp under a single roof.