The Hohoe Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Andrews Teddy Ofori has commissioned a modern abattoir in the municipality to ensure that animals are slaughtered and processed under hygienic conditions to enhance meat quality for public consumption and safety.

The abattoir was constructed under the Assembly’s District Performance Assessment Tool (D-PAT) projects at an estimated cost of GH¢820,000.00.

Mr. Ofori, commissioning the facility, said the old abattoir had outlived its usefulness hence the need to construct a state-of-the-art facility for the Municipality.

He said the Veterinary and the Environmental Health departments would monitor and supervise operations at the new abattoir in line with strict adherence to food safety and hygienic practices.

He called for cooperation from operators, especially butchers, to maintain standards and avoid meat poison and microbial contamination.

The MCE called on the butchers to observe Covid-19 safety protocols, deploy all health practices in treating meat for public consumption, and also fulfill their financial obligations to the Assembly by paying their levies and fees.

He said the Assembly would procure a van to enable easy transportation of meat from the abattoir to the marketing centres and to renovate the existing meat shop as a sales point.

Mr. Ofori said the abattoir had a biogas plant to ensure that butchers desist from using lorry tyre as singeing methods to burn slaughtered animals for the market.

Togbe Vule V, Divisional Chief of Gbi-Bla, noted that the abattoir would enhance hygienic practices and safeguard any public health issues emanating from unhygienic slaughtering processes in the Municipality and called on the operators to maintain the facility.

Alhaji Adam Issifu, Assistant Chief Butcher, Hohoe Butchers Association, expressed gratitude to the Assembly for the facility and pledged proper culture of maintenance to prolong its lifespan.

He said the Association would implore members to adhere to hygienic, proper, and acceptable meat processing measures as well as observe Covid-19 protocols.

The abattoir has a processing room, cold room, cutting machine and room, offices, washrooms, security gates, and mechanised borehole.