DVS: Livestock industry production over RM20 bln last year

NILAI: The country's livestock industry, including poultry and ruminants, recorded a total production worth more than RM20 billion last year, said Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) director-general, Datuk Dr Norlizan Mohd Noor.

He said the number showed the potential of the industry to develop further in the future, not only for the local market but also for export, thus being able to increase the country's revenue.

"The industry recorded the second highest production, after crops. If we look at the contribution of chicken production alone, it is estimated at RM10 billion annually to the country's revenue," he told reporters after officiating the Rhone Ma Holdings Berhad's good manufacturing practice certified plant, here today.

In the meantime, he said if the country wanted to develop the livestock industry further, support in production, including veterinary pharmaceutical products and livestock feed, needed to be increased.

He said the value of veterinary pharmaceutical imports in 2019 recorded RM146 million, but had experienced a slight decrease over the past two years due to constraints in implementing activities according to the new norms following COVID-19.

In the meantime, Norlizan said the efforts by Rhone Ma Holdings Berhad in producing animal feed products were in line with the government's intention to further expand the sector to a higher level to ensure the country's food security.

"The development of the country's livestock industry will not move forward without the support of industry players who are directly involved in driving the industry, in line with the government's policy to make food security a priority," he said.

In another development, he said the DVS was still monitoring the development of cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) at farms in Paya Mengkuang, Masjid Tanah, Melaka which had caused 20 of the 35 pig farms in the area to be confirmed infected with the virus.

"Fortunately, the virus has not spread to other places; we have also tightened the conditions for the transfer of pigs from any state," he said, adding that as of last Sunday, 16,000 of the 42,000 pigs from infected farms had been culled.

He also advised every farmer to double the 'biosecurity measure' control in their respective farms, to prevent the spread of ASF.

-- BERNAMA