Beef supply to be increased during fasting month, says Mat Sabu

PETALING JAYA: Domestic supply of poultry and eggs is stable but the government will increase beef supply for the fasting month, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu (pic).

The Agriculture and Food Security Minister said that during Ramadan, many people will hold buka puasa gatherings, and this would result in a high demand for beef.

"We need to expand our beef supply till Hari Raya," he told reporters after launching Asiawalit Resources Sdn Bhd’s swiftlet bird's nests processing plant.

When asked if Melaka is experiencing high vegetable prices, Mat Sabu said that certain states were facing vegetable supply shortages while others were experiencing oversupply.

However, he has instructed Malaysia's Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) to assess where there was a supply constraint and to relocate vegetables from oversupplied regions to ensure an adequate supply.

On the launch of the bird’s nest factory, Mat Sabu said that China was the primary export market for Malaysia as Chinese consumers have strong purchasing power.

"Hopefully, more Malaysian food products can be exported to China," he said.

According to the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Department, the Malaysian government has selected the edible-nest swiftlet sector to be an Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs), which would assist in increasing the Gross National Income (GNI) to RM4.5bil, while also providing 20,800 employment opportunities.

In 2022, this sector exported 7,838 tonnes for RM1.9bil. The DVS has registered 14,636 swiftlet houses.

Asiawalit Resources chairman Datuk Chua Huai Gen said Malaysia's edible bird’s nest imports were 159.8 tonnes, up 55.9% from the previous year, and accounted for 34.5% of China's total yearly imports, according to the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine (CAIQ) Traceability of Bird's Nest 2022 study.