Cycle of investments in slaughterhouses improves meat sector's conditions for value creation, says Vasco Cordeiro
The President of the Government stated on Graciosa Island that the completion of the investments in the construction and modernisation of regional slaughterhouses ensures the conditions for value creation in the meat sector, thus reinforcing the competitiveness of Azorean agriculture.
"With the opening of this new slaughterhouse on Graciosa Island, we are ending a major cycle of investments in this type of infrastructure in the Region" with the main goal of contributing to the creation of more jobs and the generation of more income for producers across the archipelago.
Speaking at the opening of the slaughterhouse built on Graciosa Island, the President of the Government pointed out that this investment of nearly 5.4 million Euros is, therefore, "another pillar supporting the competitiveness of the agricultural sector."
Besides the new Graciosa slaughterhouse, the modernisation of the regional slaughter network included the construction of a new slaughterhouse on Faial Island as well as the expansion and modernisation of the slaughterhouses on the islands of Terceira and São Miguel, an overall investment of more than 15 million Euros.
After assuring that the situation of São Jorge slaughterhouse will also be solved, Vasco Cordeiro noted that the Regional Government's intervention in this area will not be limited to investment in infrastructures, also focusing on the safety and food quality component of the products processed in the regional slaughter network.
"The ISO 22.000 standards certification have already been delivered to the slaughterhouses of Terceira and Santa Maria. Next month, it will be the turn of Pico slaughterhouse. Currently, the certification process of Graciosa, Faial, Flores and São Jorge slaughterhouses is underway. As for São Miguel slaughterhouse, the process is expected to be concluded later this year," stated the government official.
In regards to the operation of cutting plants, the President of the Government stated that the tender procedure for Faial slaughterhouse is in the final stages and the operation of the cutting plant on São Miguel has already been awarded to a private company.
In the case of Graciosa, the procedures will be carried out soon with a view to launching a tender for the operation of the new cutting plant.
In his speech, Vasco Cordeiro also stressed that the meat sector is currently on the "right track" as evidenced by the response given by private investors to the public investments carried out in the Region.
In this context, the President of the Government added that almost 73 thousand bovine carcasses were slaughtered in regional slaughterhouses last year, corresponding to an increase over 30 percent in the last five years.
Nevertheless, there is still an increase in the export of carcasses. This growth reached almost 40 percent between 2017 and 2018, which is very important to reinforce the Region's export capacity, stressed Vasco Cordeiro.
If we compare 2008 and 2018, today we only export one third of the live cattle exported at the time, that is, there was a decrease from 32 thousand animals to less than 11 thousand.
"This commitment and this response arise because there are joint efforts and a dialogue process that still has great potential in our Region," assured the President of the Government. In this regard, he pointed out, as example, the efforts undertaken by the Regional Strategy Centre for Azores Meat (CERCA), an entity involving all industry partners with the mission of promoting Azorean meat.
Under this conciliation efforts, Vasco Cordeiro announced that CERCA will proceed with a study on the nutritional characteristics of the Azores meat, similarly to what is being done for milk. This is another tool that will contribute to promotion of regional production.
"All the results achieved in this sector do not mean that there are no future challenges," Vasco Cordeiro warned, pointing out the need to "produce and sell better to respond to market needs and demands."
With a covered area of more than 2,200 square metres, the new Graciosa slaughterhouse has a slaughtering capacity of 15 bovines per hour.
As for cutting and packaging, it will now have capacity for five bovine carcasses/day or 10 pork carcasses/day. Moreover, its cold storage capacity has been reinforced with the acquisition and installation of two refrigeration chambers.