MAFI: Adequate meat supply for Aidiladha

Its Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah said the government's decision to allow the import of more than 12,000 heads of cattle, especially from Thailand, also helped to ensure sufficient supply for domestic needs.

"(Supply) of sacrificial cattle is sufficient after we open and give permission to import cattle from Thailand," he told reporters after officiating the Crops Sub-Sector Job Matching Seminar here today.

On June 7, 2021, the Veterinary Services Department (VSD) suspended the imports of ruminants (cows and buffaloes) from Thailand with immediate effect after accessing the risk of lump skin disease (LSD) in more than 41 provinces in Thailand.

After several meetings, discussions as well as improvements to several import rules and procedures, the VSD lifted the ban on the import of ruminants from Thailand with immediate effect on March 15.

In 2021, Malaysia imported 12,405 heads of cattle from Thailand in conjunction with the Aidiladha celebration compared with 12,553 in 2020.

Earlier in his speech, Ahmad said locals, especially youths, were advised to grab job offers in the agrofood sector to reduce the dependence on foreign workers in the sector.

"The Agriculture Department aims to reduce foreign workers by 10 per cent by 2030 with the increased use of technology and the involvement of local youths in the agrofood sector," he said.

He said the Malaysian Immigration Department's records also showed that a total of 156,334 foreign workers were active in the country, working in the crops sector, as of June 30, 2019.

Ahmad said currently the crops sector needed nearly 46,000 foreign workers and locals were urged to seize the opportunity.

The one-day seminar, which was held in a hybrid method, was attended by more than 1,000 participants, including students and industry players. It included the presentation of papers related to crops sub-sector employment, job matching discussions and agricultural exhibitions.