Local Beef Supply To Reach 28 Percent By 2010

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July 21, 2008 20:01 PM

Local Beef Supply To Reach 28 Percent By 2010

ROMPIN, July 21 (Bernama) -- Local beef supply is expected to increase to 28 percent in 2010 from 23 percent now when the new buildings for the Mardi (Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute) research station in Muadzam Shah, near here, is ready.

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry's secretary-general Datuk Dr Zulkifli Idris said the country was now importing 250,000 tonnes of beef annually to meet the demand which had reached 300,000 tonnes.

He said with more research and development, the new Mardi station was expected to produce 100 stud bulls in 2010 from 30 now for breeding purpose with a new ratio of one bull to every 25 female cows.

"This station will later be able to produce more than 100 stud bulls of mixed breed to be supplied to local livestock breeders," he said after the ground-breaking for the new buildings by the Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah, who was accompanied by Sultanah Kalsom.

Zulkilfi said the RM2.9 new buildings on a 1.2ha site were scheduled to be fully completed by 2010.

The Muadzam Shah Mardi station was built in 1972 to conduct research in cattle and goat breeding, and had successfully produced a new mixed breed of beef cattle named Brakmas in 1999.

At the ground-breaking ceremony, Sultan Ahmad Shah also launched a new orchid hybrid named Dendrobium Sultanah Kalsom produced from the Dendrobium Rinappa and Dendrobium Bangkok Blue.

-- BERNAMA