HOW TO RUN A PRIVATE AND PROFITABLE ABATTOIR



Photo credit: Femi
Abattoir is a place designed for slaughtering animals, preparing and producing meat and animal products for human consumption and other usage. The current state of public abattoirs is horrible and distasteful. The people are more conversant of health implication of this ugly trend. The public are now looking for dependable agropreneurs that will run a private abattoir in a unique and standard manner. Running a private abattoir is still a goldmine yet to be tapped. Abattoir can be run on a small to large depending on available capital. Common animals being slaughtered in abattoirs include; Cattle, Sheep, Goats and Pigs. Anyone going into this business should not only produce but add value to the products. Processing is simply the future of agriculture.
Femi Adewumi is a pig farmer who runs a private abattoir in Owo L.G.A, Ondo state, Nigeria. He gave an insight into abattoir business;
“The common meat butcher in the open market buys a cow worth N80,000 or N100,000 and sells it in pieces making at least N150,000 or more"
He continued by giving detail analysis;
1Kg of Beef in Open market is N1,000.
The smallest adult cattle weighs minimum of 180kg live weight. After dressing, (removing the blood, bone, hide, intestine foods), it will remain minimum of 75% live weight.
75% of 180kg =135kg, Dressed weight.
Since 1kg = N1,000, therefore, 135kg = N135,000.
Some other revenue will also come from sale of Blood, Bone, Hides and ‘assorted meat’. ‘Assorted meat’ is N1,400/kg. A cow has a minimum of 10kg ‘assorted meat’.
“We have better business concepts, we can make more profit retailing in a better atmosphere just the way you are thinking of it now” Femi advised, fellow Agropreneurs.
Setting up abattoir for pig is also an emerging business and can be started on a small scale. 

Femi, a pig farmer however, narrated how he started his pig abattoir;
 “My sojourn started when I noticed the big difference between life weight and dressed weight of pig in my place. Live weight is N300 and 1kg of pork is N500. I like pork especially the "lean pork" (pork with low fat). I eat it almost every day or every other day. I took a good look at the 1kg pork and look at how I can add little packaging to it and increase the price. I felt it was waste of time selling my pigs live at N300 when I can simply kill it and sell at N500. So I inquired of anyone selling in Owo and saw that it was one old ‘Baba’(Man) that does it occasionally. I looked at the buyers and they are mostly civil servants. I am the type that prefers to die trying than to complain. I hate complaining. So I gathered momentum and slaughtered one of my pigs. I grew up with good agriculture orientation and practical. Kudos to my secondary school that had a school farm and students must work there and God help you if you are the offending type. You will be put on the piggery roaster permanently for morning piece of work. My school had poultry, piggery, fishery and we plant maize on large scale and other things. Those gave me a good starting”
Small scale pig slaughtering process goes thus;
“There is no need to tie the pig, just get a hammer or big stone or axe. Let someone raise the hind leg. Use your eyes to draw a letter X in between the forehead. The brain is directly under it. Hit it slightly and the pig will go into coma. Within 15 seconds, the pig will regain its consciousness again so quickly slit the throat and collect the blood in a bowl. Roasting is better than using hot water to remove its hair, then wash well. If you roast it, there is a characteristic aroma and taste that it gives when eating it and it gives a ‘carton’ colour to the skin of the meat while cooking.
Dissect the pig and remove the fore and hind limb. Scale it and cut into sizes depending on customers’ preference. I usually seal my pork, when you seal it, it will not make it messy for your customers and they will prefer it to the ones sold in black nylons that will drip water and wet other valuables in their bag or car. So I supply to customers around 2-3pm in their offices. That is for people that want it fresh and I supply frozen too same price. It's of late that I started home delivery for busy people that get home late. I sell at N700 per kilo. I also buy from other farmers and slaughter” I sell the assorted meat (internal organs) for N900 per kilo”

Running value added abattoir is quite profitable, intending agropreneurs can come together to run and scale up this business. 
Lets' receive your comment and Inquiry

Labels: