Page 26 of 135
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and gentlemen, it's now 4 o'clock, I will call Council to order and proceed with the business on today's agenda.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 13th April, 1976 were confirmed.
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
Abattoirs
CHAIRMAN (in English):-The Council is gravely concerned with how our people are fed. Consequently, there is the need for this Council and the Urban Services Department to keep closely under review whether the slaughter of animals for human consumption is properly organized and done in conditions of acceptable health standards at all times.
There are two abattoirs in the urban areas: one, located in Kennedy Town, was opened in October 1968; the other, in Cheung Sha Wan, in August the following year. The first, on the Island, has two pig-lines and four cattle-dressing beds; while the one in Kowloon has three pig-lines and four cattle-dressing beds. Both work at present on a shift of eight hours.
Daily slaughter is just over 7,400 pigs, nearly 470 cattle and about 48 goats at present. Of course, for the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, the number is nearly twice as much, which is to be expected.
For the administration of these two slaughter-houses and to perform all the functions they entail, there is a staff of nearly 1,500 people costing the Council approximately $24m annually on net personal emoluments. Indeed, the total annual cost of operating these two slaughter-houses amounted to nearly $37m in 1975/76, without counting capital expenditure, while gross revenue was only $27m.
It is the Council's aim to raise local standards at all times.
At the moment, we can only maintain a good and hygienic service although we are trying hard to set more stringent requirements. But this is not easy to do here because land is short for the purpose and there are other reasons too. Still, in practice, each stage of slaughtering and dressing is kept separate and a different line is used to prevent cross-contamination of one carcass by another, while better equipment and other facilities are in the offing which will enable us to achieve higher standards all round.
Of course, each carcass is inspected for disease by fully qualified staff. Where the animals are found to be unfit for consumption they are condemned; in fact, in the financial year 1975/76, 606 cattle and 17,443 pigs were destroyed.
In an abattoir, there are by-products such as blood, grease, horns, hides, skins, meat and bone meal. They are processed by our own by-products plant. If not processed and sold, they would have to be disposed of as wastes on public health grounds. It would have cost the rate-payer to dump or incinerate them, without raising the additional revenue which we now get instead. Therefore, this plant is being improved and its scope enlarged for the better treatment and disposal of such by-products.
A comprehensive study has been made to assess Hong Kong's future requirements for the slaughter of animals for food. If our new towns are to be served properly and to cope with projected increases in population there, it is the present view that future slaughter-houses should be located in the New Territories, where existing facilities are far from satisfactory and should be replaced as an urgent measure to protect public health. A decision to do so has been left in abeyance by the Government for too long. In the urban areas, our two existing abattoirs should be able to meet local demand if facilities at both places are expanded and modernized as is now being done. They involve firstly mechanizing existing pig-lines and installing an additional line in each place; this has just been done at Cheung Sha Wan and is in hand at Kennedy Town due to be finished in a month or so. This improvement is to be followed by the replacement of the present cattle-dressing beds with more modern equipment and hygienic conditions; planned to start in 1977, the work is expected to be completed in the following year. Lairage and ancillary facilities are also being extended and improved as far as land is available for this purpose.
It is the Council's aim to offer the trade hygienic and efficient operational methods for slaughtering animals. This is a very costly service without doubt. Not only must physical facilities be maintained to a high standard and updated with improvements made elsewhere to comply with more exacting demands, but there must also be a full complement of staff, competently trained in the most modern methods.
Page 26 of 135
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Page 26 of 135
21
20
20
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and gentlemen, it's now 4 o'clock, I will call Council to order and proceed with the business on today's agenda.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 13th April, 1976 were con- firmed.
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
Abattoirs
CHAIRMAN (in English):-The Council is gravely concerned with how our people are fed. Consequently, there is the need for this Council and the Urban Services Department to keep closely under review whether the slaughter of animals for human consumption is properly organized and done in conditions of acceptable health stand- ards at all times.
There are two abattoirs in the urban areas: one, located in Kennedy Town, was opened in October 1968; the other, in Cheung Sha Wan, in August the following year. The first, on the Island, has two pig-lines and four cattle-dressing beds; while the one in Kowloon has three pig- lines and four cattle-dressing beds. Both work at present on a shift of eight hours.
Daily slaughter is just over 7,400 pigs, nearly 470 cattle and about 48 goats at present. Of course, for the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, the number is nearly twice as much, which is to be expected.
For the administration of these two slaughter-houses and to per- form all the functions they entail, there is a staff of nearly 1,500 people costing the Council approximately $24m annually on net personal emoluments. Indeed, the total annual cost of operating these two slaughter-houses amounted to nearly $37m in 1975/76, without counting capital expenditure, while gross revenue was only $27m.
It is the Council's aim to raise local standards at all times.
At the moment, we can only maintain a good and hygienic service although we are trying hard to set more stringent requirements. But this is not easy to do here because land is short for the purpose and there are
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
other reasons too. Still, in practice, each stage of slaughtering and dressing is kept separate and a different line is used to prevent cross- contamination of one carcass by another, while better equipment and other facilities are in the offing which will enable us to achieve higher standards all round.
Of course, each carcass is inspected for disease by fully qualified staff, Where the animals are found to be unfit for consumption they are condemned; in fact, in the financial year 1975/76, 606 cattle and 17,443 pigs were destroyd.
In an abattoir, there are by-products such as blood, grease, horns, hides, skins, meat and bone meal. They are processed by our own by-products plant. If not processed and sold, they would have to be disposed as wastes on public health grounds. It would have cost the rate-payer to dump or incinerate them, without raising the additional revenue which we now get instead. Therefore, this plant is being improved and its scope enlarged for the better treatment and disposal of such by-products.
A comprehensive study has been made to assess Hong Kong's future requirements for the slaughter of animals for food. If our new towns are to be served properly and to cope with projected increases in population there, it is the present view that future slaughter-houses should be located in the New Territories, where existing facilities are far from satisfactory and should be replaced as an urgent measure to protect public health A decision to do so there has been left in abeyance by the Government for too long. In the urban areas, our two existing abattoirs should be able to meet local demand if facilities at both places are expanded and modernized as is now being done. They involve firstly mechanizing existing pig-lines and installing an additional line in each place; this has just been done at Cheung Sha Wan and is in hand at Kennedy Town due to be finished in a month or so. This improvement is to be followed by the replacement of the present cattle- dressing beds with more modern equipment and hygienic conditions; planned to start in 1977, the work is expected to be completed in the following year. Lairage and ancillary facilities are also being extended and improved as far as land is available for this purpose.
It is the Council's aim to offer the trade hygienic and efficient operational methods for slaughtering animals. This is a very costly service without doubt. Not only must physical facilities be maintained to a high standard and updated with improvements made elsewhere to comply with more exacting demands, but there must also be a full complement of staff, competently trained in the most modern methods
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