ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The slaughtering of animals at the Government’s Abattoir at North Sound has come to a grinding halt.
The interruption of operations is due to the lack of fuel to power the boilers, which provide steam and hot water to process the animals.
The situation has been ongoing for the past six weeks, and manager Charlesworth Grant told OBSERVER Media for the past three weeks workers have had to use wood to heat water in a cauldron to clean the animals in order to keep the business going.
“Somebody in authority has to do something. The implication is astounding as we produce most of the local meat,” Grant said.
“The implications for the health and welfare of the general public are also great,” he added.
The problem appears to lie with the Government Motor Pool, which has refused to deliver the diesel in the required quantities.
Grant said the requisition was made to the Public Works Department for 250 gallons of diesel every two weeks. However, the abattoir has only received 150 gallons – an amount, the manager said is “not enough to even fire up the boiler.”
“This is foolishness. Not when government has fuel and we’re still living in the dark ages,” Grant said.
The abattoir, this newspaper has been informed, has stopped accepting any animals for slaughter until the situation has been remedied.
Meantime, the 14 workers sit idle until the close of the workday.
(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)
“Pellucid”. Are you on the right page? Or should I ask even keel?
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So what of the local drilling, extraction and refining industries??
Did the British leave this little so-called “country” without the ability to sustain it’s energy needs?
Is this what they meant by “independence”???
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