State aims to produce 60% of goat meat
KOTA KINABALU: The state government is aiming to increase local goat meat production in the state to 60 per cent by 2030, said Assistant Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Dr Daud Yusof.
Speaking at the Sabah Goat Breeders Convention 2018 on Saturday, Daud disclosed that the current percentage of local goat meat production in Sabah is around 27 per cent.
In contrast, as of now, 73 per cent of goat meat in the state is imported, he said.
“We know that Sabah is still far behind in the goat breeding industry despite its development, which is growing every year; we are still importing meat [from] elsewhere,” Daud said.
Daud stressed that goats in Sabah are healthy and free from any diseases unlike the goats in other countries. In view of this, he said that Sabahans should use this to their advantage.
The inaugural convention was organised by the Sabah Bumiputera Goat Breeders Cooperative Berhad (Kopens).
In lauding Kopens for organising the convention, Daud said that such initiative would encourage more Sabahans to further develop the goat breeding industry in the state.
Meanwhile, Kopens chairman Firdaus Said revealed that the focus for goat breeders in the state is more on the live meat market.
“Goats are more associated with live market. Lamb on the other hand is more on the frozen market. People from Brunei and Sarawak would usually buy live goat meat,” Firdaus said. He further explained that live goat meat is highly demanded in Sabah. There are various communities in Sabah that use live goat meat in their festivities or customs: Muslims (for Aqiqah or Qurban), Kadazandusun (for their sogit customs) and the Indians (for Deepavali).
“That is why we are in the process of developing this industry, so that the supply of local live goat meat in the state will be sufficient and pricing would be more competitive.
“This will make things easier for the buyers as well as the breeders,” Firdaus said.
Firdaus asserted the development of the goat industry would also bring longterm gain, so that the younger generation would be able to reap its economical benefits.
He pointed out that the goat breeding industry is not only confined to meat but could also lead to the production of moneymaking products such as starch, fertilizers, milk, flour and so on.