Province to host awards for best performing abattoirs

MEC Desbo Mohono of North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will on Friday, 25 October 2019 officiate the Annual Provincial Abattoir Hygiene Rating Scheme Awards ceremony in Potchefstroom College of Agriculture.

The awards are held to promote compliance to the Meat Safety Act, Act 40 of 2000, and to recognise abattoirs that produce and supply safe meat whilst also contributing to food security.

This year’s awards are based on the 2018/2019 financial year abattoir audits that were conducted by the department’s Veterinary Public Health Officers in Veterinary Services using the national Hygiene Assessment System (HAS) tool.

During the period under review, there were thirty two (32) registered red meat abattoirs and twenty one (21) registered poultry abattoirs in the North West Province. The mentioned abattoirs are privately owned.

For the financial year 2018/19 forty six (46) out of fifty three (53) abattoirs were audited in terms of the scheme.

Participating abattoir were competing under following categories;

High throughput (HT) Red Meat

High throughput (HT) Poultry

Low throughput (LT) Red Meat

Low throughput (LT) � Poultry

Rural throughput Red meat (MECs special award issued to the best performing abattoir in this category)

The audits of abattoirs under the scheme are compulsory for all regularly slaughtering abattoirs. Each year the department honours best performing abattoirs with awards conferred by the Executive Authority and the Head of the Department for complying with meat safety act.

Source: Government of South Africa