The project targets that by 2020, at least 80 per cent of meat and poultry meat will meet food safety and hygiene standards. — VNA/VNS Photo Dinh Hue

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Ha Noi's Agricultural and Rural Development Department has kicked off a project to boost the quality of meat and poultry by starting a supply chain to provide hygienic meat to local residents.

The project targets that by 2020, at least 80 per cent of meat and poultry meat will meet food safety and hygiene standards.

Vice chairman of the capital's People's Committee Tran Xuan Viet, said that under the project, the city would subsidise farmers that used modern abattoirs by paying half of the fees incurred to slaughter animals and poultry in the first year, 40 per cent in the second year and 30 per cent in the third year.

It aimed to encourage companies to invest in modern abattoirs, Viet said.

Tran Van Quan, a representative from the Me Linh Modern Abattoir on the outskirts of Me Linh District, said the city had issued a range of policies to encourage companies to use modern abattoirs, but they had proven ineffective.

The city has seven modern abattoirs and over 2,500 traditional slaughterhouses.

Modern abattoirs could not compete with traditional slaughterhouses, so the city needed to close them down, he said.

Statistics show that 750 tonnes of meat is consumed in the city each day. — VNS