Modern abattoir to be functional at Sira by December

Six years after its announcement, a state-of-the-art abattoir, exclusively for sheep and goats, will be functional at Cheelanahalli in Sira taluk of Tumakuru district by December. 

The slaughterhouse will be free from human intervention right from the selection of sheep and goats to packaging of meat and disposal of waste.

According to Karnataka Sheep & Wool Development Corporation (KSWDC) officials, this abattoir is one of its kind in the country dedicated to sheep and goats. 

Top producing dists

Built on 20 acres of land at Cheelanahalli, the unit is equidistant from Tumakuru and Chitradurga, districts with the highest population of sheep and goats in the state. Belagavi is another district with high number of sheep and goats. 

Constructed at Rs 44.63 crore (the cost of machines is Rs 21.1 crore) through KSWDC, a wing of the animal husbandry department, the unit has completed civil works and is awaiting installation of machines in October. 

Hygienic meat 

MLA T B Jayachandra told DH that the purpose of setting up a modern abattoir in Sira taluk is to provide top quality, disease-free meat to consumers, as mutton from Tumakuru and Chitradurga districts is popular for its unique taste. 

The unit aims to put an end to unauthorised and illegal slaughterhouses in and around Bengaluru, where butchering of animals is being done unscientifically without maintaining hygiene and quality of meat.

No middlemen

At the modern facility, shepherds and farmers of Tumakuru and Chitradurga districts can sell goats and sheep directly, bypassing middlemen. 

The facility will benefit 45,000 to 55,000 sheep-rearing families in Tumakuru district and 47,000 to 52,000 families in Chitradurga district. This apart, shepherds and farmers from across the state can sell their animals here. 

“The works are being completed under PPP model and the government has given the contract to Bengaluru-based Dharmic Vibes Private Limited, which has expertise in meat processing and delivery,” Jayachandra said.

Tumakuru and Chitradurga districts have the highest number of goat and sheep-rearing families in state. Of the 18 lakh goats and sheep population in Tumakuru district, Sira alone has 8 lakh sheep and goats, making it the taluk with the highest number of goats and sheep in state.  

Dharmic Vibes has taken the contract for 20 years. The company will run the facility, while KSWDC oversees it. The company has to pay Rs 2.52 crore to KSWDC per year.

Doctors’ monitoring

Animals (sheep & goats) will be slaughtered in a humane and painless manner. A team of veterinary doctors will observe the animals for 24 to 36 hours. Up to 5,000 animals can be kept in the facility to observe them before selecting for butchering. The unfit/diseased ones are separated and kept in quarantine for up to 20 days. This process helps supply quality and disease-free mutton to consumers.

Job opportunities

The slaughterhouse will create employment opportunities for nearly 850 people.

KSWDC assistant director T Nagesh Kumar said the unit has a facility to butcher around 1,500 sheep and goats every day and to produce up to 2.5 tonnes of meat.

Initially, 800 to 1,000 sheep and goats will be slaughtered a day. Based on the response from farmers and inflow of animals, capacity will be increased, he added. 

Export options

The company will export 50% of meat to other states and countries. The remaining 50% will be sold in Bengaluru and neighbouring districts through retailers like Big Bazaar and local meat vendors. 

The unit has a skin processing plant and a separate facility for waste disposal. Farmers can sell their sheep and goats directly and get money on the spot, Kumar said. 

Dr Nagaraj, former deputy director of the department of animal husbandry & veterinary services, said a team of officials visited abattoirs in Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam, Mumbai and Bengaluru to study the mechanism and facilities there, before preparing the blueprint for the Sira abattoir.