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A P51.5-million slaughterhouse opened here on Monday, Oct. 19, in a bid to improve market access and boost the livelihoods of local livestock raisers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
The facility is expected to benefit 1,303 livestock raisers across 29 barangays in San Jose, according to the DA.
Of the project’s P51.5-million cost, P41.2 million is financed through a World Bank loan, while the remaining amount is shared equally by the local and national governments, the DA said.
Four modular cold storage facilities powered by a hybrid wind-and-solar energy system were also launched in the town. Similar facilities have been built in the Camarines Sur municipalities of Garchitorena, Lagonoy and Tigaon.
“These facilities are investments in the livelihoods of our farmers, fisherfolk, and livestock raisers. By reducing post-harvest losses, improving meat-handling services, and connecting local producers to better markets, we can help them earn more from their hard work,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement.
“They can also generate jobs in processing, storage, transport, and related services, while attracting more economic activity that will support San Jose’s growth and benefit surrounding communities,” he added.
The modular cold storage units use a hybrid power system consisting of 30 solar panels rated at 700 watts each, a 15-kilowatt inverter, a 3-kilowatt wind turbine, a 160-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery storage system and a 25-kilowatt diesel generator for backup.
Housed in standard 40-foot containers, the units have 150-millimeter-thick polyurethane insulation and are designed to maintain temperatures between 1 and 10 degrees Celsius.
The site also has dedicated areas for washing, processing, loading and staging vegetables, pineapples, sweet potatoes and other high-value crops before distribution, the DA said.— MCG, GMA News
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