BRISBANE: Sabah is exploring high-quality cattle breeds and breeding technologies in Australia as part of efforts to strengthen its cattle industry and increase local beef production.
Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar made the assessment during a working visit to several leading cattle farms here.
The visit was conducted together with Sabah Veterinary Services Department (DVS) Director Dr Zul Bahar, with the mission focusing on exploring potential technical cooperation and assessing the genetic quality of high-performing cattle breeds based on international standards.
Jamawi said the transfer of genetic technology and supply of high-quality calves from Australia were expected to accelerate the growth of the local livestock sector, while the planned breeding programme would increase the cattle population and optimise the production of quality local beef to meet growing domestic demand.
“I am confident that Sabah’s cattle industry will achieve remarkable success if we can provide our farmers with high-quality breeds,” he said.
He added that the superior breeds selected would offer greater disease resistance, faster physical growth and meat quality that meets consumer standards.
The distribution of cattle breeds will be carried out in a planned and targeted manner, with the selected breeds to be supplied to local farmers who have successfully completed livestock management courses organised by relevant government agencies.
This approach is intended to ensure that farmers receiving the assistance possess the technical skills, farm management knowledge and understanding of optimal livestock nutrition required.
Jamawi stressed that combining modern livestock knowledge with superior cattle breeds was crucial to ensuring better returns for farmers, adding that the initiative could help lift small-scale farmers out of poverty and establish them as competitive agricultural entrepreneurs.
The working mission also strengthened cooperation between the Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Ministry and the Sabah Veterinary Services Department in developing follow-up monitoring strategies.
Continuous monitoring will be carried out locally to ensure the adaptation of cattle breeds from Australia proceeds smoothly according to Sabah’s climatic and geographical conditions.
The ongoing initiative reflects the State Government’s commitment to strengthening food security and reducing dependence on imported beef.
With the implementation of the breeding programme, Sabah is expected to be better positioned to become a major producer of high-quality beef products in the region in the future.
