Livestock market pushed to decongest Baguio City central business district

  
By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- The City Veterinary and Agriculture Office urged the City Council March 6 to approve proposal to construct a state-of-the-art livestock market here in Barangay Dontogan.
    The proposed project worth P108 million was presented by CVAO senior agriculturist Marcy Tabelin and city veterinarian Siladro Bested. The present livestock market is located in the slaughterhouse compound along Magsaysay Ave. surrounded by residential houses, bus terminals, and business establishments.
    Once the livestock market is relocated to the proposed site in Dontogan Barangay, the slaughterhouse compound will be “decongested,” helping depopulate the city center.
    The area once occupied by the livestock market will be utilized for agricultural projects such as vegetable and fruit trees seedling production.
    Having 65 stalls that can accommodate 7,000 live animals, the new livestock market being proposed will have separate sections to minimize cross exposure to animal diseases.
    The structure is designed for easy cleaning and disinfection and has its own drainage system and a sewage treatment plant.
    To keep the livestock safe from animal diseases, biosecurity control measures will be undertaken for all live animals entering the livestock market. 
    The proposed aquaponic system will be an additional component of the project for benchmarking purposes and to be used for teaching the residents in the city who want to venture into aquaponics and hydroponics farming and urban agriculture.

According to the cost benefit analysis and feasibility study conducted by the City Budget Office, the proposed livestock market is expected to generate P72 million in its first five years of operation from all its revenue streams. The study also claims that the return of investment is at 22.7%, resulting in the recovery of investment P107 million within 10 years and seven months. 

The proposed livestock market will also make native pigs and chickens accessible, benefitting residents who conduct cultural practices and festivities.

Bested said the proposed livestock market will be constructed simultaneously with the proposed abattoir.

The proposed livestock market will be funded by the city government while the construction of the proposed abattoir will be through public-private partnership (PPP). 

Bested told the council stall owners in the current livestock market will not be displaced and more individuals will be accommodated since the new livestock market will have more stalls.

Meanwhile, Councilor Michael Lawana suggested that the city government should come up with a suggested retail price (SRP) of live animals and strict monitoring of the SRP in the livestock market to avoid overpricing.

On the same day, the city council approved the first annual supplemental investment program for 2023 in the amount of P250 million which includes the proposed fund for the construction of the modernized livestock market.