ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday inaugurated Iraq’s biggest livestock marketing and slaughtering factory in Erbil's Gwer district. The $100-million project follows international standards to prevent diseases and reduce pollution.

“The project is called ‘Megal’ ... It has a capacity to accommodate 50,000 head of livestock,” Firas Siddiq, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Director of Livestock Resources, told The New Region.

“It includes a slaughterhouse built on an area of 916,000 square meters, which equals 366 dunams, with a capacity to slaughter 2,000 head of livestock. This project will become the largest red meat marketing center in all of Iraq,” he added.

"Over 1,000 job opportunities have been created as part of this project," Barzani stated in his address, saying that "high-quality meats" will be available in supermarkets as a result of the initiative.

"What is pleasing is that this project was built by our own people," the premier continued.

Everyone in the livestock markets will be given a space to work at the project and the old market will not remain, according to Siddiq. A part of the project is dedicated to producing and packaging different types of meats, such as hamburgers, sausages, and several other products.

Siddiq said the old system caused diseases to spread and unpleasant odors, while in the new market, every animal will be inspected to ensure adequate health standards.

Bargasht Akreyi, spokesperson for the Investment Board, called Megal an “industrial revolution.”

Construction on the $100-million project began in 2022 and consisted of two phases. Phase one is complete, with phase two being implemented. 

The project consists of a main gate and several sections, including livestock raising pens.

The livestock section includes 380 pens in three different sizes: 198 pens measuring 704 square meters, 36 pens of 833 square meters, and 16 pens of 563 square meters. It also contains 106 yards of 558 square meters each, along with one VIP yard measuring 1,090 square meters.

Each pen includes two livestock housing areas, two feeding areas, a central corridor for service and movement, and a rest area for supervisors.

The project’s aim is to establish a modern commercial center for exporting, buying, and selling livestock throughout the country. It follows international agricultural standards in raising livestock and innovation in meat production to present the best quality meat while controlling health requirements. 

Megal also aims to reduce pollution through using the latest technology and recycling various types of waste for other products.