June 26, 2009
Malaysia to achieve 28 percent beef self-sufficiency next year
Malaysia could reach 28 percent self-sufficiency in beef consumption by next year, said Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim.
Malaysia's beef production had reached 25.38 percent last year, 2.62-percent below the target, which shows that domestic meat production has fallen short of expectations, said Rohani.
Statistics of 2006-08 showed that beef and buffalo meat imports had dropped by 11.1 percent, she said.
Rohani said the government had taken five measures to increase beef production, which are increasing cattle population; enhancing the competitiveness of the industry; improving the business environment, infrastructure and incentives; strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary; and upgrading product quality and value-added products.
The government had also encouraged the production of high quality local breeds rather than sourcing animals from abroad, with the hope that it would generate more interest in local cattle so that producers would boost their output to meet the demands of the meat industry, Rohani said.
