CCEA nod for Rs 330 crore outlay for abattoirs likely tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Aimed at giving a boost to the meat processing industry, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is likely to approve tomorrow an outlay of Rs 330.84 crore for setting up 25 new abattoirs and modernising the existing ones.

"The CCEA is scheduled to meet tomorrow. Among the issues on the agenda include the Ministry of Food Processing's proposal to upscale a infrastructure development scheme on abattoirs," a source said.

The ministry has proposed upscaling of the scheme for setting up of new abattoirs and modernise the existing ones with an outlay of Rs 330.84 crore for 2012-13 and 2013-14 fiscal, the source added.

Out of the total allocation, a sum of Rs 240.25 crore will be earmarked for setting up of 25 new abattoirs and modernisation of existing 25 abattoirs. About Rs 74.83 crore will be spent on completion of 8 approved ongoing projects, the source added.

The scheme, which was launched in the 11th Five year plan (2007-2012), aims to provide financial assistance in the range of 50-75 per cent of cost of plant, machineries and technical work, among other things, to maximum of Rs 15 crore for each project.

The source said the Food Processing Ministry feels there is a need to enhance the quality and raise capacities of abattoirs and it should be linked to commercial processing of meat both for domestic consumption and exports, discouraging unauthorised slaughtering.

The country's annual production of broiler meat is estimated at around 3 million tonnes. The beef and veal (meat of calves) output is also estimated at that level, as per trade data.