Douala: Pork dealers told to improve hygiene

Apart from some religion that sees pig as an unclean animal, pork is loved and eaten by many in metropolitan Douala. 26,000 pigs inspected and slaughtered in 2015 alone with an average of 73 slaughtered daily, is telling of the number of city dwellers that consume pork. The love of pork has triggered modern butchering practice by most supermarkets, which is gradually attracting local pig butchers clients. In a meeting that grouped over 200 pig butchers in Wouri Friday February 25th, the Divisional Delegate of Livestock, Dr Guy Mimbang urged them to form a cooperative. As a cooperative, Dr Mimbang said, they can easily solicit funds from national and international Non Governmental Organisations, companies and even the government and procure modern equipment in order to improve on the quality of services render to costumers. 

With 38 sales points in Wouri also classified as 38 markets, unofficial figures indicate that over 200 pigs are slaughtered in the Division on a daily basis. Since some of the butchers don’t observe the norms of the profession to the letter, hygiene and sanitation worries abound. Though butchers are suppose to carry out slaughtering at the New-Bell slaughtering area before transporting the carcases to their various sales points, some slaughter along the road which is uncalled-for. Reason why as a cooperative slaughter houses can be constructed, better cold houses for conservation provided and good slabs for the sale of pork constructed. Bopda Noutsegue Dayan, President of one of the pork markets in Douala III is optimistic that as a cooperative, work condition will improve and they will be able to compete with their supermarket counterparts while the Sub-Divisional Delegation of Minepia for Douala II, Alain Ghomsi said only good results awaits them as a cooperative.