Home ›› 19 Feb 2023 ›› Front
Four years have passed since the Livestock and Dairy Development Project (LDDP) kicked off with the aim of building, among other things, nearly two dozen modern animal slaughterhouses across the country. So far, it has not even been able to finish issuing the tenders for the constructions of the facilities, let alone build one.
Now with only months remaining of the project’s original deadline, authorities are seeking a two-year extension to get the job done, according to LDDP officials who blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and a lengthy approval process for the slow progress.
“The duration of the project is up to 2023, but it is being extended by another two years. A proposal has already been submitted to the Ministry of Planning. The project will continue till 2025,’’ Dr Md Gholam Rabbani, Chief Technical Coordinator of LDDP, told The Business Post (TBP).
Jointly financed by the Bangladesh government and the World Bank, it is the largest livestock development project in the country and is estimated to cost Tk 4,280.36 crore in total.
Being implemented under the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the project will cover 465 upazilas of 61 districts of the country, excluding three hill districts.
Progress so far
The LDDP aims to increase the production of livestock products, create market linkages and value chains, improve climate change risk management for small and medium farmers, achieve sustainable growth in the livestock sector through safe animal feed production, processing and marketing and capacity building of private entrepreneurs.
One of the most important parts of the LDDP is the construction of 23 modern slaughterhouses. In addition, authorities will also make infrastructural development of kitchen markets, train small farmers, supply machinery among farmers, and build awareness under the project.
According to the project proposal, the facilities will be used for hygienic animal slaughtering and meat processing. The five-year project initially aimed to construct 23 slaughterhouses across the country– one each in three metropolitan or city corporation areas and one each in 20 districts.
But due to complications, project officials said they are looking to build 21 slaughterhouses-- 18 at the district level and three in metropolitan or city corporation areas in Rajshahi, Chattogram and Khulna.
They also said of slaughterhouse construction projects in the district level, seven tenders will be finalised by next March, seven are under design, and four are awaiting environmental clearance.
According to project sources, construction of each slaughterhouse at district level will cost an estimated Tk 9-9.5 crore, and Tk 83 crore each at the city corporation level.
People familiar with the matter said there are enough resources to implement the facilities maintaining international standards. However, the implementing authorities are yet to complete the construction of any slaughterhouses.
“We have not yet started the construction of any slaughterhouse. But we have tendered out the construction work projects of building slaughterhouses in seven districts including Rangpur, Chapinbabganj and Rajshahi. We hope to start work by June,” Dr Md Gholam Rabbani, chief technical coordinator told The Business Post.
Lengthy approval process
Project officials blamed land acquisition related issues, a lengthy evaluation process and the Covid-19 pandemic for the delay in the construction work.
Engineer Partha Pradeep Sarkar, deputy project director (DPD), LDDP, said, “Although the project was passed in 2019, we could not start the main work that year. Almost the entire first year was spent hiring a consulting firm.
“As it is a joint project with the World Bank, everything has to go through a bilateral evaluation committee. After the first year, the Covid-19 pandemic happened and work was halted completely.
“But now the work is progressing fast, soon we will complete all tender processes. After that the construction work will start after the approval of the evaluation committee.”
However, Partha said even as the obstacles created by the pandemic no longer exist, the lengthy approval process is still slowing down work progress.
He said, “Currently the main challenge of the project is the approval letter of the evaluation committee. It takes us a lot of time to get the clearance letter from the committee. Besides, it takes some time to get suitable land for construction of a slaughterhouse.
The progresses made
According to a project progress report published in March 2022, a design and supervision firm has been appointed for the construction of the slaughtering house. Three metropolitan areas in Khulna, Rajshahi, Chattogram have been selected by the city corporation authorities for the construction of the establishments.
Besides, project authorities have received proposals from 20 districts regarding the sites for the construction of the slaughterhouses and 17 sites have already been finalised.
Earlier, authorities completed the Environment and Social Impact Assessment of 17 animal slaughterhouses at the district level and sent the Initial Environment Examination (IEE) report to the Department of Environment for clearance in December 2021.
Besides, preparation of IEE report for construction of two modern animal slaughterhouses at metropolitan level is in the final stage, said project sources.
Unnecessary?
Despite the massive project to transform the livestock sector, many industry insiders are sceptical of its necessity.
Meat traders at different kitchen markets in the capital told The Business Post that the project will lead to an increase in meat prices.
They said bringing meat from slaughterhouses of the project will increase their transportation costs.
Besides, meat sales have decreased recently due to the already high prices, they said adding that the extra transport cost in bringing the meat to the kitchen markets from the slaughtering houses will further increase the prices.
Abdus Salam, a meat trader in the capital’s Mugda Bazaar, said, “There was a slaughterhouse near us in Hazaribagh, which is closed now. Except the local traders nobody would go there to slaughter animals.”
However, project officials said they have instructed authorities concerned to ensure proper and efficient use of the facilities.
“When the project work is done, it will pay off by increasing the availability of good quality disease-free safe meat. At the same time, the damage to the environment will be reduced,’ said Partha Pradeep Sarkar, DPD of LDDP.
