The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The only operational slaughterhouse in Bhutan has come under scrutiny for using outdated and primitive slaughtering methods, raising serious concerns about animal welfare.
Report from Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (CCAA) indicate that the facility lacks modern techniques and adequate infrastructure to ensure humane and efficient processing of livestock.
The Bhutan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI) lodged a formal complaint with the CCAA regarding irregularities in the meat supply chain.
The complaint specifically targeted M/s Penjor Slaughterhouse in Tsirang, citing monopolistic practices, price manipulation, and declining meat quality, issues that are reportedly affecting vendors and consumers in Thimphu.
In response, CCAA formed an investigative team comprising representatives from the Bhutan Food and Drug Regulatory Authority (BFDA), the Department of Livestock (DOL), the Department of Industry (DOI), and the Regional Office of Industry, Commerce, and Employment (ROICE) in Gelephu.
The team was tasked with assessing the situation and determining necessary interventions.
During the field visit to Tsirang, the investigative team made the following observations.
Drovers and vendors procure cattle from different dzongkhags and transport them to the slaughterhouse for processing. While the slaughterhouse does not directly source livestock, it allows vendors to use its facility, charging Nu 3,500 per animal for facility use and Nu 1,100 for butchering.
Additionally, the slaughterhouse retains the head, trotters, and offal without compensating vendors.
Claims that vendors were compelled to sell meat to the slaughterhouse at Nu 330 per kilogram and repurchase it at Nu 400 per kilogram could not be fully substantiated due to a lack of concrete evidence. However, circumstantial findings suggest vendors are charged Nu 400 per kilogram while invoices reflect a lower rate of Nu 250 per kilogram, supporting claims of price discrepancies.
While allegations of a Nu 500,000 advance deposit were clarified as a refundable security deposit of Nu 100,000 per vendor, investigators noted that these transactions were conducted in cash without official documentation or receipts.
Evidence suggests that the slaughterhouse has been under-invoicing transactions, issuing receipts for Nu 250 per kilogram while charging vendors Nu 400 per kilogram.
Additionally, the business admitted to using personal savings accounts instead of an official business account, prompting the Department of Revenue and Customs to consider further investigation.
The claim that vendors are charged Nu 3,800 per animal, even if not slaughtered, could not be conclusively proven due to insufficient evidence.
The slaughterhouse holds a valid industry license for beef production, and the proprietor is in the process of obtaining Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification.
The facility is located approximately 200 meters from a community water source, with evidence of wastewater runoff that could potentially contaminate the local water supply. Despite being reported to the Dzongkhag Tshogdu, this issue remains unresolved.
If the various investigation leads to the closure of the only slaughterhouse then Bhutan will have to look at importing buffalo meat from India or meat across the border.
