Coming soon: “5-Star Slaughterhouse’

PHUKET CITY: Even as tens of thousands of Phuket residents walk the streets in all-white clothing and abstain from meat, plans are afoot to build what authorities are describing as a “5-star” slaughterhouse capable of butchering up to 100 pigs per hour.

The Phuket Provincial Livestock Office announced the project as part of its plan to designate Phuket as Thailand’s first “Food Safety City” in 2009, the Manager on-line news service reported yesterday.

Phuket Provincial Livestock Chief Dr Sunart Wongchawalit was quoted as saying the slaughterhouse will be a joint project between the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) and Phuket City Municipality.

The facility will be located on OrBorJor land, the exact location of which was not included in the report.

Construction of the slaughterhouse, to cost somewhere between 60 and 80 million baht, will be completed within a year, Dr Sunart was quoted as saying.

The project will bring the island into compliance with Natural Resources and Environment Ministry regulations and force the closure of 17 smaller slaughterhouse facilities now operating on the island.

The plan to designate Phuket as a Food Safety City is an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives.

It is hoped the facility will help boost meat exports to Malaysia and Singapore.