site.btaAnimals Smuggling Hub, Illegal Slaughterhouse Uncovered in Ihtiman Area
Information on illegal import of animals from Romania into Bulgaria, an illegal slaughterhouse uncovered in the Ihtiman area (Western Bulgaria), and sites where the remains of slaughtered animals were dumped was presented on site by caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Food Ivan Hristanov and Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) Executive Director Angel Mavrovski on Saturday.
“We are in Ihtiman, which is clearly the epicenter or hub of smuggling into Bulgaria,” Minister Hristanov told the media. He reported that trucks carrying small ruminants have already been detained and are currently at the Romanian border. Hristanov said that Romanian ear tags were found at another location on the other side of Ihtiman.
The BFSA together with the Ministry of Interior spent the entire day on March 13 conducting inspections and determined that there are several locations in the Ihtiman area where bones and fresh animal waste had been dumped, Hristanov said. In addition, there are several locations where the meat was butchered and cut up, and from there distributed in an unknown direction, he added.
Hristanov announced that a joint news conference with the BFSA and the Interior Ministry will be held on Monday to present government measures. "From this moment on, we will not allow a weak government to compromise our domestic livestock industry," Hristanov added.
On March 13, three animal farming organizations warned of a critical situation regarding the disposal of dead animals in Bulgaria. In a joint statement, the Union of Poultry Farmers, the Association of Pig Farmers and the Association of Industrial Pig Farming said the problem emerged on March 9, when the acceptance and disposal of animal by-products was effectively suspended. As a result, livestock farms are facing difficulties in continuing their operations. Earlier in the day, Agriculture Minister Hristanov filed a report with the prosecution service concerning alleged abuse in a public procurement procedure for incinerators. He said that the money for animal disposal for a period of three years had been spent for half the time and now money is no longer available.
/DS/
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