Oil palm estates can up meat supply, too
Published on: Monday, December 05, 2022
Jeffrey visiting one of the exhibition booths during the event accompanied by Dr Normah, James and Robert.
KENINGAU: Sabah has huge potential for integration of ruminants with the oil palm plantation as a strategy to increase the state’s self-sufficiency level on production of meat supply, said Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan.With about two million hectares under oil palm, he said the opportunity is there for integration and in turn reduce the state’s dependency on meat import from abroad.
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“Lately, it’s been a challenge for us to increase our self-sufficiency on ruminant meat because of various factors such as the increase of price of ruminant feed due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and global climate change.
“These have affected the production of raw materials for ruminant feed such as soy, maize and wheat in the producing countries.
“Therefore, we need to think of ways to produce our own meat supply,” he said in his speech when officiating the State Level Farm Day, here, last Friday.
He said integrating ruminant with plantation is a workable strategy considering that the palm kernel cake is one of the sources of food for ruminants as also palm fronds.
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Other than oil palm plantations, Jeffrey, who is also Sabah Deputy Chief Minister cum Keningau MP, said idle lands can be utilised for growing grass particularly Napier grass as food source for ruminants.
Earlier, Director of the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Dr Normah Yusop said the self-sufficiency level (SSL) for meat production in Sabah is below 10 per cent, which is very low.
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She said Sabah still highly dependent on imports from countries like India and Australia.
However, the department she said has taken steps to increase the level of self-sufficiency by working with government-linked companies to develop the ruminant industry in the state.
Among the strategic plans is to develop the Borneo Dairy Valley through cooperation with the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) and Keningau Livestock Integrated Centre (KLIC).
Another cooperation she said is with Sawit Kinabalu on cattle breeding which will later be distributed to smallholders.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Datuk James Ratib and Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Permanent Secretary Robert Stidi, among others.
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