October 26, 2007

Malaysia aims to double milk production to meet demand

Malaysia's Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry has announced it would undertake measures to double production to achieve the target of 80 million litres of milk production annually.

Measures to boost milk production to meet demand were slated under the Ninth and Tenth Malaysia Plans.

Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the target was set so as to meet the country's demand for 1.3 billion litres of milk and dairy products, Bernama, the country's news agency reported.

Malaysia's current production is only 40 million litres, or 3 percent of total demand.

Malaysia would set up consortiums to support the dairy production development programme, Muhyiddin said.

Malaysia's goat breeding project is also on track to start in the state of Perak next year whereas the country's aquaculture programme would double current aquaculture production to 600,000 tonnes by 2010.