Plan for modern city abattoir in the works- City Mayor

The Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is proposing the relocation of the municipal abattoir from its current Water Street, Georgetown, location and it is expected that a new, modern facility will be constructed.

This is according to Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, who engaged members of the media on Monday at his office in the City Hall compound.

The Mayor explained that the City Council is cognisant of the deplorable state of the abattoir, and that the modernisation of the city abattoir facility has been a consideration.

He reminded members of the media that when a crane, which was involved in operations for John Fernandes at Kingston, toppled and crashed into the city abattoir, a decision was taken to relocate the abattoir. But, the abattoir on Water Street is still being used.

Nevertheless, the Mayor stated that a plan for relocating and modernising the abattoir should be submitted to his desk no later than Thursday this week.

“I can say to you that the abattoir there, this council don’t want the abattoir to be any longer on Water street because I believe that Water Street will be an area for the oil and gas sector in the future,” the Mayor said.

Responding to a question from the News Room, he said that the council already has a proposed location, but he could not disclose that location, or any other details, until the committee finalises the plan.

The municipal abattoir is nearly 90 years old and processes a substantial amount of the meat sold in the local markets.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, highlighted that his ministry would construct a number of modern abattoirs across the country with the aim of boosting beef and pork production.

In the longer term, these facilities, the minister explained, could allow Guyana to tap into export markets.