Sabah’s dairy industry has potential, says Deputy CM

KENINGAU: Sabah’s dairy industry has the potential to produce high-value cheese, butter, yoghurt, ice cream and milk powder as well as Sahiwal Friesian dairy cattle for export, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin.

The private sector, as proposed in the Economic Transformation Programme, could play a role in this and contribute to the Gross Domestic Product, he said in his speech at the launch of anchor companies in the Dairy Cluster here yesterday.

Yahya, who was also state Agriculture and Food Industries Minister, said the state’s dairy industry began in the early 1980s with participating farmers owning two to five dairy cattle each under an initiative by the state Veterinary Services and Animal Industries Department.

Sabah now produces 10 million litres of milk a year and was the biggest producer of fresh milk for the School Milk and 1Malaysia Milk Programmes, he said.

“Fresh milk is also exported to neighbouring countries as well as Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, and the state’s dairy industry is set for further growth with the Keningau Integrated Livestock Centre (KILC) and Kota Belud Agropolitan Project,” he said.

Yahya also urged private and government-linked companies to invest in the state’s agriculture sector, including in bird’s nest farming, sea weed mini estates, fish cage culture, food processing, rice farming and cattle feedlots. — Bernama

Source : Borneo Post