Background:
Pigs play important role in livelihood of coastal, hilly and north eastern regions of the country. Pigs have certain advantages like early sexual maturity, high fecundity, high meat yield and higher feed conversion ratio. India possesses 10.29 million pigs and they contribute about 5% to the total meat produced in the country. Most of meat production in India is under unorganized sector and is characterized predominantly by wet market. About 40% of the pigs are present in North Eastern regions of the country. Maintaining hygiene as per FSSAI regulations and disposing waste as per Pollution Control Board are the important requisite for establishing a slaughterhouse. Most of the traditional meat production premises function without adequate basic facilities like proper flooring, water supply etc. Improper disposal of waste is an environmental and public health menace. Unscientific disposal of waste leads to soil, air and water pollution as well as leading to health concerns among residents in the vicinity. Effluent discharges from slaughterhouses can result in the depletion of oxygen from water bodies and the contamination of groundwater. It also generates breeding ground to pathogens producing infectious diseases. Hence, there is a need for an innovative intervention to achieve hygienic meat production and retailing in small scale operations. This is more required in view of the stringent guidelines of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), as per which producing meat under hygienic condition is mandatory. Portable Pork Production and Retailing facility (P-PORT) is an effort to address the issue of hygienic meat production in small scale operations (about 2 animals). It is an environment friendly facility with zero discharge, takes care of the animal welfare and provides required facilities for hygienic meat production.:
Technology Details:
The Portable Pork Production and Retailing Facility (P-MART) has facilities for, resting, slaughtering and dressing, cutting and packaging, retailing and waste management facility. Except waste management facility, remaining facilities are wheeled which enables easy movement of the facilities. Resting facility has been provided for two pigs. Height required of about 7 ft provided for hanging of the carcass. A special electrical stunner has been developed. Provisions provided for collection of all the solid and liquid wastes emanating from the slaughterhouse. Cutting and packaging unit has a platform for cutting the carcass. Retailing facility enables sitting of two persons. All the accessories required for hygiene, watering, lighting etc have been provided. The units can be easily shifted from one place to another as they are wheeled. However, biomehanation plant has to be kept preferably in the home of the operator as it provides the methane required for cooking the food. The unit can also be placed near the operation place of P-MART for singeing of the carcass. In P-PORT, there is a provision to ensure welfare of the slaughter animals. Live pigs are accommodated in the resting area for comfortable stay during the period of waiting. Pigs in resting area can comfortably sit and stand as per their convenience. Drinking water is provided ad libitum. Provision for feeding is also provided which can be used to feed the animals, if required. Live animals in lairage will not see the slaughter and dressing of the other animals. Electrical stunning facility is also provided to avoid pain and suffering during slaughter of the animals. These provisions ensure the welfare of the slaughter animal. The concept was shortlisted in the Kritagya Hackathon of ICAR. A firm has submitted request for investing in the technology. The firm will be providing fund for preparing the prototype. The firm has requested for transfer of technology for enabling marketing of the product. The technology transfer will be on non-exclusive basis and there will be no bar on transfer of technology to any other firm. Intellectual property of the technology will completely lie with ICAR – National Research Centre on Meat, Hyderabad.