KUCHING: A targeted livestock feed subsidy programme should be introduced to reduce production costs, support small-scale farmers and increase local meat production, thereby reducing reliance on imported food supplies.
Serembu Assemblyman Dato Miro Simuh said high livestock feed costs were among the main challenges facing the livestock industry, as they directly affected production costs, profit margins and local meat prices.
He said that even when farmers were supplied with quality breeding stock, efforts to expand their operations would continue to face constraints if livestock feed costs remained high.
“I would like to propose that the Sarawak Government introduce a targeted livestock feed subsidy programme to assist local farmers, particularly small-scale farmers and rural entrepreneurs involved in cattle, goat and sheep farming,” he said.
He was speaking during the debate on the Supply (2027) Bill, 2026 at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly Sitting on Wednesday.
In this regard, he welcomed the RM24.57 million allocation under the Sarawak 2027 Budget for livestock industry development, including RM18.5 million for the provision of quality breeding stock and RM3.37 million for commercial livestock development.
Meanwhile, he called for government support for cattle breeding and fattening activities, as well as greater collaboration among government agencies, private investors and local farmers to increase production capacity.
“Sarawak cannot continue to depend on imported food supplies indefinitely. We need to strengthen local production capacity, encourage more farmers to venture into commercial agriculture and develop a complete supply chain encompassing cultivation, processing, packaging and marketing.
“Through these efforts, we can enhance food security while creating sustainable sources of income for rural communities,” he added. -UKASnews
