Transition to Slaughterhouse Slaughtering is an Irreversible Process with No Alternative: Head of FSIS

A meeting was held at the Tavush Regional Administration, where issues related to conducting animal slaughter exclusively in slaughterhouses and organizing the marketing of meat and meat products were discussed. The meeting was attended by the head of the Food Safety Inspection Body, Gevorg Avetisyan, his deputy Artur Shatvorian, Tavush Regional Governor Hayk Chobanyan, as well as representatives from slaughterhouses and meat sellers in the region. This was reported by the FSIS.

Sergey Nerkaryan, the owner of a slaughterhouse, discussed the operations of slaughterhouses and the services offered. He presented the pricing of services and explained the logic behind their formation, clarifying the nuances of their work in relation to cooperation with producers and the sales network. He also informed that there will soon be a meat and by-products processing facility adjacent to the slaughterhouse.

“The sector is being regulated; the transition to slaughterhouse slaughtering is an irreversible process that has no alternative,” said Gevorg Avetisyan, the head of the Inspection Body. “Our participation in this meeting aims to address the emerging issues and contribute to the successful establishment of the producer-slaughterhouse-sales structure. This is a process we are trying to pass as smoothly as possible.”

Regional Governor Hayk Chobanyan spoke about the necessity of facilitating the emergence of the new sector. “The sector will develop according to market relations. The country should progress, and farmers should not have problems selling meat, while slaughterhouses will eventually become organizations supplying high-quality and safe meat to the sales network.”

Meat sellers expressed their concerns regarding issues related to selling meat that suits the preferences of the population, unclear questions arising in the tax sphere, and other challenges. Representatives from the slaughterhouses assured that they are ready to provide any type of quality meat for sales, ensuring its safety. Collaboration between these two segments of the economy is the key to solving these issues.

Reminder: As of July 1, 2020, the requirement for slaughterhouse slaughter is mandatory throughout the Republic of Armenia. As a regulatory body, the Food Safety Inspection Body of the Republic of Armenia utilizes all available tools within its authority to ensure compliance with this requirement.