The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has expressed serious worry about the health dangers linked to dirty slaughterhouses and poor meat inspection in Taraba State.
At a workshop held on Tuesday in Jalingo, the State Coordinator of the World Bank-backed project, Hananiah Albert, said there is an urgent need to maintain cleanliness in how meat is handled. He said this is the only way to stop diseases that can pass from animals to humans.
Albert noted that the safety of meat depends on what happens before, during, and after animals are slaughtered. Because of this, he said proper meat checks and clean slaughterhouses are important to stop diseases like tuberculosis, anthrax, and brucellosis from spreading.
He explained that meat inspection and managing abattoirs are not just routine tasks. They are key parts of making sure food is safe, preventing disease outbreaks, and protecting the public’s health.
Albert praised the Taraba State Government for its efforts to improve livestock farming. He said the training was created to teach workers how to follow proper hygiene rules and use modern ways of handling and processing meat safely.
He said the training was aimed at giving meat inspectors, veterinary officers, and abattoir workers updated knowledge and skills so that all slaughterhouses in the state can meet the same safety standards.
Taraba State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Professor Nicholas Namessan, also attended the event. He restated the government’s commitment to making food safer and developing the livestock sector.
Namessan said meat is widely consumed in the state, and with the population growing, the demand is increasing. He pointed out that this growing need also means more care must be taken to make sure the meat people eat is clean and free from disease.
He encouraged those attending the training to take it seriously and reminded them that their work plays an important role in making sure people eat healthy meat and stay safe.
The commissioner also said the government plans to keep improving the livestock industry and will continue working closely with L-PRES to make that happen.
The workshop, held at Galaxy Spot in Jalingo, brought together meat inspectors and abattoir managers from all 16 local government areas in the state.
