Isidoro T. Cabrera, vice chairman of the board, said there was no need for a public hearing since the location of the proposed project is in the industrial zone.
He said the U.S Department of Agriculture also approved the plan for the slaughterhouse.
There are two U.S. certified meat inspectors on island, he added.
Based on the plan, the construction will begin by mid-February and the slaughterhouse will open in April.
It will be fully operational in May and staffed with local workers.
Businessman Anthony Pellegrino, who is the main proponent of the project, said piggery growers in the CNMI will be provided with technical assistance to become professional pig raisers.
Hog raising on island is a promising venture, he said, adding that he believes local farmers can meet the demand that will be created by the local slaughterhouse.
He said farmers will be assisted by experts like Dr. Allan Sabaldica, who works as an animal scientist and extension specialist for the Cooperative Research Extension and Education Services of Northern Marianas College.
“There’s a fantastic business waiting there for us. The beautiful thing about this is that there’s no competition. We’ll succeed because it’s a basic commodity of our life like drinking water,” he told piggery growers during a recent meeting.
He assured ranchers and piggery growers they will have access to affordable feeds.
The slaughterhouse and meat processing facility will need a minimum of 400 pigs a month to start providing fresh meat to the CNMI and Guam, Pellegrino said.
