Malaysian Minister Shabery Spurs Local Dairy Industry To Meet Country's Demand By 2020

PEKAN (Pahang, Malaysia), Sept 6 (Bernama) -- Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek is confident that Malaysia would be able to fulfill 80 per cent of the 60 million gallons of fresh milk required annually in the country by 2020, via local sources. The minister said so far the country was only capable of producing 57 per cent of the required quota, while the rest had to be imported from foreign countries such as New Zealand from Australia. "There is still room to develop the dairy industry in the country but it requires a high amount of investment, that's why people think it is easier to import fresh milk from abroad because in terms of production cost, it is cheaper. "However, over dependence on imports is not good, because in the event of fluctuation in the value of the ringgit, it would have negative impacts on the trade balance of the country," he said after visiting the Pekan Dairy Farm here, Monday. He said the ministry was also looking at providing assistance to the local operators to develop the dairy sector. "Looking at the current development of the dairy sector, I see a potential and should be developed as part of the country's agricultural development plan. We have no other choice but to provide enough capacity to produce all the dairy products for the needs of the people. "Importing milk is not the best alternative because its nutritional value is much lower than fresh milk. Therefore the ministry appreciates those involved in this sector (locally) and will provide assistance and support to ensure their companies succeed," he said. According to the ministry's records, there are only 100 enterprises engaged in dairy farming sector on a modest scale in the country with an estimated 200 heads of cattle per farm, and only two operators have 500 dairy cattle in their farms. Ahmad Shabery said the ministry was also planning to set up a 'National Dairy Council', as well as involving several other ministries such as the Ministry of Health to jointly develop the dairy farming sector in the country. -- BERNAMA