TANZANIA – Tanzania’s Longido district council has initiated the construction of US$2.19 million facility that will act as an abattoir as well as meat processing facility in accordance with the industrialization agenda.
According to Daily News, this was in line with President Magufuli’s initiative to have more than 100 new industries in every region by the end of the year.
The factory has a capacity of 3,000 livestock per day, thus providing a direct market for livestock farmers who always have to find it outside the country.
Longido District Executive Director (DED), Mr Juma Mhina said herders had to take about 1,800 cattle to Kenya on a daily basis, thus this was an opportunity to add value to the products before export.
To ensure welfare and productivity of the animals, district authorities will support herders in the district where 90% of residents perform livestock keeping.
The development creates economic empowerment especially for those pastoralists who have lacked market access for their products.
In Kenya, the herders can have access to three meat processing industries including the Kenya Meat Commission which has capacity of 1,000 large animals per day and 1,500 small stocks per day in Athi River and 250 large stock and 500 small stock per day in Mombasa.
Kenya Meat Commission produces a range of by-products through it rendering plant which converts all wastes into meat and bone meal and tallow while other by-products include hides and skins, hooves, horns and blood meal.
It is estimated that the factory that is being constructed by the council with support from the Central Government would provide 130 employment opportunities as well as initiate meat export business.
The factory is scheduled to be completed in December this year and that from the following month thereafter the district council’s coffers would be getting at least US$656,992 a year from the industry.
