The slaughterhouse “Shushica” in the city of Vlora is a renowned address for the local stockbreeders as the former public abattoir has returned to its former glory after 30 years thanks to a private investment and the modern technology that safeguards products quality and safe for consumption.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bledi Çuçi, today visited the abattoir, which, after construction of a new road in the area, is now easily accessible by the farmers. “The plan is to develop a large agribusiness in the whole territory. The former public slaughterhouse has become now operational after 30 years. I would like to thank you for supporting construction of the new road, which will support development of the whole Laberi area,” the entrepreneur said.
The products are regularly controlled and the food safety and storage is safeguarded by assigned veterinaries, and the modern refrigeration facilities where the meat is stored for consumption. “A veterinarian service office is assigned to check and certify the product’s quality. Then the process automatically ends up with loading on trucks. The process is modernized and this is all our investment,” the entrepreneur explained.
Prime Minister Edi Rama noted that ensuring highest food safety standards is a challenge. A new package of amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code will help in the efforts to ensure food safety standards. “Our whole problem is that vis-à-vis the food safety we should make sure that meat is safe and fresh. You all know quite well that before rule was enforced, everything was a mess. Investing in a slaughterhouse was like investing in bankruptcy. Those who pretend as if they are concerned about the people often oppose the government’s move, claiming that we are blocking villagers access to the economy and say that they should be allowed to slaughter animals. This is craziness. But this is the key to ensuring food safety and the new legal package will impose new strict rules. Whoever violates these rules will face severe penalties.”
The Premier also underlined that rules to enhance food safety will also encourage exports, including meat export, meaning that stockbreeding will become an exporting economy.
“As far as export to the EU member states is concerned, all countries prior to us, including Bulgaria and Rumania that are now EU members, have struggled a lot and have coped with a confused and intricate situation to address the issue of illegal slaughtering of the animals and this process will take time. Meanwhile we are making efforts to gain access to the Middle East markets known for the consumption of lamb meat and negotiations are underway on agreements to ensure that livestock becomes and export of economy.”
