KOTA KINABALU: A local spotted buffalo breed developed by the Sabah Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) holds commercial potential, says Sabah Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.
Speaking at DVS Sabah’s 50th anniversary celebration on Tuesday (Oct 6), Jamawi highlighted the breed’s unique traits.
“This is one of the species developed by the Sabah Department of Veterinary Services. As we have seen, it is friendlier, has white eyes and a more attractive body shape, while not being overly large.
“It could attract young people to rear this species. It is not only suitable as a hobby, but could eventually provide better financial returns,” he told reporters.
He expressed confidence that these features would allow the buffalo to command higher market values than conventional cattle.
To modernise the state’s livestock sector, Jamawi announced plans to reactivate and upgrade Sabah’s 139 grazing fields, which can hold up to 30,000 cattle.
Fixing damaged fencing and improving feed quality aims to resolve issues with roaming livestock. Additionally, the state plans to replace ageing livestock, with Jamawi noting a recent working visit to Australia where officials selected 2,800 head of high-quality beef cattle, dairy cattle, and goats for local breeders.
