The much talked about Venezuela-funded Abattoir, situated in Layou Park, is set to officially open within the next few months, Agriculture Minister Johnson Drigo has revealed.
He made that announcement while addressing a handing over ceremony of fertilizer at the Botanic Gardens on Monday.
Drigo had said previously that the facility which was expected to open on an earlier date but was delayed by Tropical Storm Erika.
“The Abattoir will be opened based on the structures that we finally agreed on…We are looking at February-March,” he said on Monday.
According to him, the Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM) has sponsored a marketing plan for the Abattoir.
“The first draft we expect by month end,” he noted.
The facility was tested recently and Drigo stated that it meets market demands.
“Through the BAM we will be looking at a consignment of chicken very soon and the Abattoir, even with the adjustment that are to be made, is ready to process the chickens that we will be bringing in,” he noted.
The minister stated that the recent testing of the Abbatoir was part of many things that are taking place in the agriculture sector.
“We purchased 4,000 birds/chicken for the testing of the Abbatoir. Of the 4,000, 3,800 birds went through the facility,” Drigo explained. “If you are not careful you will believe the testing of the chicken was a failure. Yet still we were able to sell to supermarkets, we were able to sell on our own at the local marketplace, we were able to donate a consignment of chicken and pork to every needy institution on island as a form of marketing in preparation for the Abattoir.”
Drigo revealed that those who purchased chicken from the Abattoir said the meat was “tender and nice”.
Meantime, he said there were challenges during the testing of the facility.
“Of course, there were challenges during the testing of the facility, the facility was built three years ago and, of course, there were equipment that had to be changed and adjustments to be made,” he remarked.
Furthermore, he said the first set of chickens that went through the de-feathering machines was overly beaten up.
“In going through the machine, the machine wasn’t adjusted yet, when they came on the other side you could see they were beat up and red,” he explained. “The right adjustment was made to get the de-feathering machine to work properly.”
Authorities say the Abattoir costs about $10-million, financed by Venezuela. They say upon completion it will have a capacity output of 1,000 birds per hour and 50 pigs per day. They say it was being built to ensure food security, reduce the import bill and to provide employment in Dominica.
The facility was originally set to be completed by October 2013.
After that various deadlines were given for its completion including January 2014 and March 2014.
I thought i was already opened. The manager Michael Etienne had pictures of pork ans chicken at the abortoir on his page. Why should he have it on his page if they were going through testing? What happened to all that meat? Did they take it to their homes.? Hmmmm
It*
Ask the Minister to come clean about the magnitude of the CHALLENGES experienced during the testing. I know for fact that the testing was a dismal FAILURE and one of those days we will unearth the truth, where ever it is BURIED!
Good luck in the success of this enterprise and its opening soon.
Well, sometime.
I recall how tasty chicken and pork were in Dominica. I expect they have the same taste. Would love some of them.
seeing is believing..too much talk..
I’m not a DLD or UWP supporter, I’m an independent. So this is not political motivated. When oh when we we see all these varied projects come to fuition. The hospital, the abattoir, geothermal energy nothing seem to ever reach completion.
If you and other D/cans, the critics, gave them your blessing, they would have been completed. Too many negative people project their lack of confidence. It is like a curse. This is what occurs when some non-patriotic, non-caring D/cans are discouraging. It is as if they are not interested in any worthwhile programs in Dominica. Then they blame the government.
“Drigo revealed that those who purchased chicken from the Abattoir said the meat was ‘tender and nice’ ”.
Mr. Drigo are you suggesting that it is the Abattoir that caused the meat to be nice and tender? Is that the function of the Abattoir?
What is the plan for making this a viable project? Can we depend on local production to sustain this venture? What is the production and marketing plan? Please give we the public a comprehensive presentation on the from the farm to the market with realistic projections.
Of course that chicken was tender, it was beaten to a pulp, balck and blue they say. Who bought that chicken Johnson.?I did not see that at Safe a Lot or Whitchurch.
I just want to know something , where are they going to dispose of the organic waste and polluted water? Would they install a waste handelling facility or dump in soil or throw to sea ? Anybody can advise me on that?
1,000 birds per hour
so where in Dominica are we going to raise 1000’s of birds?
Dragon. .your boss say all you not ready and you agreed. so is that another case of all you not ready?
Exactly the problem with Dominica. Sit, analyze with our overly smart brains and do nothing. Just criticize. Drigo will raise them himself. Then we will have more to talk about.
Beaten up chicken red, black and blue meat. No thanks to animal cruelty meat.
Some think nothing of being cruel to their fellow people.
I told someone that some people love animals more than they love God and people.
I heard people like Krazy say he took heed and went into it, when these people see things start looking good they will say is Laborites that getting everything. You all listened to Q and not go into it they told you all it’s a failure, people don’t make the same mistake twice you did it with farming now Haitians has you all buying food by the pound. HItians have money now they will take you all again. Don’t say no one never told you all.
Oh Jesus
!
Built in 2013
)
Tested in late 2015
Equipment change out before testing in late 2015
Equipment not properly adjusted
Could not process the 4000 bids intended
Chicken overly beaten up while defeathering (must have been very tender during eating
My my my
! Is that the great things happening in the agriculture industry that Skerro alluded to yesterday and castigated his minister for not being more proactive in informing the public 
? Well John-dont-know just let Skerro know that all is NOT well and quit blaming him for the government’s short falls. Next time they will overly beat the pigs while alive instead of the chicken. God help us in this land with this failed and incompetent regime. Agriculture has really gone to the dogs 
. The Baroness was right, we will continue to SOUSAY SEL! 
Assertive, NEVER…
See the level of our ministers’ communication. “The abattoir will be open in next few months”. This means absolutely nothing. Then he said we looking at February or March. How have we elected these idiots I cannot understand. We are in January, you talking about next month and you have no set date or idea. A government operating on pie in the sky promises. Coffee plant, hotel, abbatoir, tablets, now they want to purchase DCP. Oops I forgot the state of the art hospital they plan on constructing at the same site of main hospital while in operation. The next level of incompetence.
Good initiative. employment opportunity but the road to that area should be a priority. It is really disheartening to be driving on this road especially as it is one of the main farming districts on the island.
Haha, we are really living in animal farm country so we have plenty of “chickens” and “pigs” for that abattoir.
Pure BULL .
Will be a huge failure in e months,ANOTHER LABOUR WASTE
The roads to the abattoir are absolutely appalling. The abattoir was built without a environment assessment and is built on the water table to the whole of the Layou valley! In other words the abattoir should not have been built where it is. With the economic state of affairs in Dominica it will be unlikely that the abattoir could be supplied with the necessary live animals to slaughter. This venture is very unlikely to be a success! It is a sad state of affairs just another white elephant to add to so many!
Pork…… Go to Hell with your negativity, if we could raise over $80k for LL in the same economy we can do our poultry and pork!!!!!!!!!!! so STFU YOUR D.A
Joe, I and many others rather put our money on Lennox because that is a better investment. Whe he is running the country we will be able to buy our own chicken without interference from government. You will see. Have these guys learned nothing from what happened in the Soviet Union and now Venezuela?
Joe, I am not being negative I am being what I think is honest. Imagine a local farmer of pork and chicken having to pay for their livestock to be taken to the abattoir on roads that are in a dreadful state of disrepair! The animals then have to be slaughtered and the farmer pay for the transport and the slaughter of the chicken or pig. The cost will be prohibitive at the end of the day. The farmer will not be able to afford to raise his animals! Simple do the math Joe!!
Do you not think the road situation should be addressed to the correct authority. They probably have an idea when the road will be repaired.
Please stop telling us it will soon open. Next time a story is posted on this should be when it is open! Another thing Erika is blamed for…smh.