December 12, 2006

 

Malaysia to slash food import bill

 

 

Blessed with a fertile land and a climate conducive for farming, Malaysia still spends about RM13 billion (US$3.66 billion) a year on food imports, particularly meat, and produces just RM7 billion (US$1.97 billion) worth of its own food.

 

In contrast, the Netherlands, which is only about the size of Malaysia's Pahang, is the world's second largest food producer after the US.

 

The Malaysian government has now been making efforts to exploit the country's potential in food production and slash its huge food import bill. The Agriculture and Agro-based Ministry has already taken steps to overturn this food deficit by 2010.

 

One of the many sub-sectors identified under the food products category is the rearing of cattle and livestock for meat and dairy products.

 

Under the National Meat Policy (ruminant sector), Malaysia, which has almost 1 million cows and buffaloes, aims to increase that to 1.6 million in 2015, thus increasing the country's self-sufficiency in meat products to 40 per cent from 25 per cent currently.

 

Further, the rearing of cattle for meat, a lucrative venture in itself, could fetch an average price of up to RM2,000 (US$ 563) per head.

 

Contrary to belief that Malaysia does not have huge grazing fields like the cattle ranches in America, large tracts of land owned by plantation firms could serve more than one purpose-to produce commodities such as rubber and oil palm, and be used as grazing fields. A plantation firm Golden Hope Plantations Bhd has already shown an interest in this regard, in response to the government's call to the private sector to take an active role under the Third National Agriculture Policy.

 

The company rears the local Kedah Kelantan breed, which is mated with the Nelore bulls from Brazil.

 

The company's director of plantations for Peninsular Malaysia, Mohd Zaki Che A. Kadir Mohd Zaki admitted it was ideal to rear cattle among oil palm trees where the herd was systematically moved from one plot of land to another to graze.

 

They save on upkeep cost as they do not need to spray insecticides to kill the weeds.

 

Malaysia also practises the pawah system under which the Veterinary Services Department loans the bull to smallholders so that it could mate with the female breeders. No capital is needed to buy the bull, said Mohammad.