The Price Will Decrease Alongside the Increase of Slaughterhouses: Anoush Harutyunyan

Director of the Information and Public Relations Department of the State Food Safety Service, Anoush Harutyunyan, addressed the issue of mandatory slaughtering in slaughterhouses on her Facebook page.

She specifically wrote: “I hear from many that in order to transition to slaughterhouse slaughter, conditions must first be provided. I absolutely agree. And the conditions have been provided, and it may sound strange, but the mandatory condition for slaughterhouse slaughter is … Wait, oh no, I’m saying… As of today, January 21, there are already 38 operational slaughterhouses; just six days ago, on January 15, there were only 22, and by tomorrow there will be even more. 20 are in the process of interior finishing, and 27 are under design… Since the 15th, I have received 17 calls just on the hotlines from those wanting to know about the conditions for building a slaughterhouse. Yesterday, a representative from the Yazidi community was live on air, and we explained to them - they were convinced… They are considering proposing to build a slaughterhouse in their community. Today, they will come to us to learn about the conditions… Many people have expressed interest in constructing slaughterhouses to our employees. We are receiving calls from numerous villagers who are pleased that they will be free from the arbitrariness of intermediaries… All of this would not have been possible if the principle of MANDATORY conditions had not been implemented. The government’s decision has been in effect since July 1, 2018. When we were not adhering to the mandatory requirement, the number of slaughterhouses was only 17… During that period, only 5 slaughterhouses were opened… compare this!!! In a month or two, there will not be any slaughterhouse further than 30 km from any village, which means the animals will be transported for FREE. The slaughter price is currently and will be a maximum of 10,000 drams for large livestock, 3,500 drams for small cattle, and 5,000 drams for pigs. The price will decrease alongside the increase of slaughterhouses; it’s the law of the market. Therefore, my dear and respected people, the condition is being met, and for the country with its limited resources, this was the only logical path. P.S. There will be very strict supervision over the slaughterhouses.”