By DayakDaily Team
SIBURAN, June 5: The Sarawak government is targeting to produce 60,000 heads of cattle annually by 2030 as a major step toward strengthening the region’s food Self-Sufficiency Level (SSL) and developing a sustainable meat supply chain.
In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news report, Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Sarawak, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, emphasised that the target is not merely symbolic but is backed by strategic investments in both domestic and international livestock ventures, feedlot facilities, and integrated farming initiatives involving local industry players.
“Our goal is to produce at least 60,000 cattle per year by 2030, which would contribute around 25 per cent to our SSL. We’re moving in the right direction.
“We already have a cattle farm in Rosewood, Northern Australia, as well as a feedlot facility in Karambungan. Additionally, we are implementing integrated farming projects with oil palm plantations, where the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) is also involved in livestock rearing, currently managing about 3,500 head of cattle,” he said after a visit to the Halal Slaughtering Complex today.
Dr Rundi highlighted that Sarawak’s SSL has increased from 13 per cent to 16 per cent—a clear indicator that long-term strategies are beginning to yield tangible results.
However, to achieve sustained progress, he stressed the importance of developing a complete supply chain encompassing upstream production, downstream processing, and market access.
“One of the key challenges in advancing the agricultural sector is the absence of a complete supply chain. We may ask people to cultivate or rear something, and they will do it—but problems arise when there is no assured market or supporting infrastructure,” he explained.
As part of diversification efforts, Dr Rundi also revealed that Sarawak will begin producing its own mozzarella cheese by the end of the year.
Both the cattle and cheese production initiatives aim not only to meet domestic demand but also to tap into export markets.
On preparations for the upcoming Hari Raya Korban this weekend, he assured that the cattle supply is sufficient.
Also present during the visit were Deputy Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Datuk Martin Ben, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar (Dr) Abdul Aziz Dato Husain and SEDC general manager Datu Abdul Hadi Datuk Abdul Kadir. — DayakDaily
