MEAT Sector Analyse

Meat Sector Study
11. Tirana
Tirana has one private slaughterhouse (KMY/Yzberish), which meets all the requirements but
is used only for the company’s needs.
12. Vlora
No operating slaughterhouses in this district that fulfils sanitary-veterinary requirements.
UNDP is working on an MAFCP financed slaughterhouse with high standards, but it was not
in operation by summer 2010.
(Source: MAFCP; Slaughterhouses in Albania, present situation and prospect; 2006)
In Albania there are many slaughterhouses not in operation and the remaining less than 20
slaughterhouses – that correspond more or less to national standards - do often daily
slaughtering of 1 – 2 cattle and / or few pigs or small ruminants. All slaughterhouses are
working far below their capacities which often vary from 10 - 40 cattle and 20 - 100 small
ruminants per day. One of the reasons therefore is that authorities do not force the traders
and butchers to slaughter there. Therefore slaughterhouses face no or limited raw material
supply. Usually the facilities are outdated and in most cases they do not even comply with
the Albanian law. EU standards on hygiene, public authority, traceability and HACCP are not
fulfilled.
For example many slaughterhouses only separate the carcass from the entrails, leaving
other operations to butchers, such as separation of internal organs from the carcass and
breaking of the bulk and anatomical cuts, that are even harder for authorities to check and
monitor. (Source: FAO / VERCUNI, A. et ZHLLIMA, E.: The food supply and distribution
system of Tirana, Albania; 2008)
As the costs of setting up slaughterhouses depend less on the walls and more on electricity
and water supply, stainless steel equipment, modern machinery, sufficient space (away from
housing areas), cooling rooms and more, it is not economically justified to refurbish (very
poor) existing slaughterhouses.
All the slaughterhouses in the country are considered Small and Medium Enterprises as they
have less than 250 employees and a turnover not reaching Euro 50 million annually.
Regarding the poultry sector there are three major slaughterhouses for poultry in rather good
condition:
• Chicken Farm in Kavaja (fully automatic slaughterhouse belonging to Frigofood
company)
• AGRIZOO in Lushnja region (half automatic)
• DRIZA in Fier region (half automatic)
Smaller ones are located in Korca, Fier, Lushnja etc.
Slaughtering points
In Albania there are more than 200 slaughtering points with primitive equipment and without
control of local authorities. Very often these slaughtering points are located on the roadside
of major roads like Tirana - Shkoder; usually the facility includes just one room with a
refrigerator and the meat for sale is hanging outside so that it is good visible to all drivers
coming along the road. This type of “slaughterhouses” does not correspond to Albanian law
and several times such slaughtering points or butcher shops have been closed by the police;
as these facilities are not registered the veterinary inspectors are not entitled to control them
Meat Sector Study, page 24