A Retrospective Study on the Causes of Carcass and Organ Condemnation and Financial Loss in Debrezeit Helmex Abattoir

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the major causes of organ and carcass condemnation of sheep and goats slaughtered at Hashim Nurs’ Ethiopian Livestock and Meat Export (HELMEX) abattoir and to estimate the magnitude of direct financial loss attributed to the condemned organs and carcasses. Methods: A retrospective data of four year period from October 2005 to October 2008 was analyzed to identify the causes of organs and carcass condemnation in slaughtered sheep and goats at HELMEX abattoir of Debre Zeit. The international and domestic average price during the four year period was used to calculate the financial losses. Results: A total of 1,883,652 small ruminants (1,36,484 sheep and 1, 747, 168 goats) were slaughtered in the four year period and 313,331 (16.63%) livers, 215,185 (11.42%) lung, 104,368 (5.54%) heart, 133,295 (6.02%) kidney, 107,748 (5.72%) brain and 27,153 (1.44%) carcasses were condemned due to gross abnormalities. The present survey revealed that hepatitis (33.27%) in the liver, pneumonia (48.19%) in the lung, pericarditis (92.37%) in the heart, nephritis (65.13%) in the kidney, Coenurus cerebralis (70.14%) in the brain and bruising (21.71%) in the carcass were found to be the major condition responsible for the respective organs and carcasses condemnation. Annual financial losses from domestic and international market of carcass at HELMEX abattoir in a period of 4-years was 174 million of USD/1,476 millions of ETB. Conclusion: The result of present work suggest that immediate control and prevention of the prevailing conditions which helps the country to compete in the current attractive market there by increase the foreign exchange earnings.