On May 21, 2024, it was recovery time for the Boulogne-Sur-Gesse slaughterhouse and its 19 employees. The establishment was closed on April 9 by prefectural decision for non-compliance with hygiene and animal and environmental protection rules. The prefecture has given its approval for the resumption of activity, while major work will be undertaken to modernize it, bring it up to standard and expand it. The project was unveiled on May 21, 2024 by the community of communes Cœur et Coteaux Comminges, now owner of the premises.
The resumption of activity is a relief for elected officials and customers
For the 120 customers, whether butchers, makers or breeders, resuming activity is a relief. Proof of this is that the volumes are there, the closure has not led to any loss of customers, says Laurent Monticciolo, Director of the SCIC Abattoirs du Comminges, that is to say the cooperative society of collective interest. which now manages the Boulogne and Saint-Gaudens slaughterhouses. Breeder and director of the slaughterhouse, Yves Salles recognizes that the five weeks of closure were long and costly for him and his colleagues. “When it’s a quarter-hour trip, it doesn’t represent a big cost. When it’s a 100-kilometer trip, it takes half a day to bring the animal, half a day to going to collect the packages and it is a cost in terms of time, logistics and fuel costs for livestock trucks or refrigerated vans.”
6.5 million euros and a new slaughterhouse
He is relieved by the resumption of activity, but also by the envelope of 6.5 million euros planned to modernize and expand the slaughterhouse. The latter, created in the 1970s, will get back to health. “We therefore built the hall which will be used to slaughter the animals. We are creating new refrigerators and then, we will rehabilitate the old slaughtering unit which will become a training place for slaughtering professions in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Occitanie region. explains Christophe Lafforgue, who is following the file for the community of municipalities. The objective is to make a tool that meets current standards and is adapted to animal welfare.
Concretely, a 380 m² slaughter hall will emerge from the ground as well as a processing room dedicated to offal of 220 m² and a 500 m² cold block. The existing buildings will partly become a new bouverie of 550 m², offices dedicated to training of 600 m² and a reserve for cutting and transformation of 370 m².
Delphine-Marion Boulle
A slaughterhouse focused on the short circuit and small volumes
The investment goes hand in hand with the work started at the start of the year at the Saint-Gaudens slaughterhouse, at a cost of 7.5 million euros. Both now form a single entity, on two complementary sites belonging to the community of municipalities. THE Large volumes are thus handled in Saint-Gaudens as a priority, while the Boulogne-Sur-Gesse slaughterhouse will maintain and deepen its core target: individuals and small breeders.
The idea being thus to support the short circuit and direct sales sector. “The objective of having these two sites is to be able to respond to everyone” explains Magali Gasto Oustric, the president of the community of municipalities, who adds that the two sites will be open to all, as a “public service” ultimately.
“It perpetuates it for the future so automatically it establishes this activity in Boulonnais and in our community, but it is also a perpetuation of jobs and prospects in relation to the agricultural world” rejoices the mayor of Boulogne-Sur-Gesse, Alain Boubée.
The work will start in January 2025 and must be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
