PETALING JAYA: Rhone Ma Holdings Bhd announced today that Jemaluang Dairy Valley Sdn Bhd (JDV), a joint venture vehicle formed between its 49%-owned subsidiary A2 Fresh Holdings Sdn Bhd and Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd, has been appointed by the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) to develop, operate and manage the 275-hectare Jemaluang Dairy Valley project in Jemaluang, Mersing, Johor.
JDV, A2 Fresh and Kulim (the Anchor Group) will undertake the investment, operation and management of the project which include upstream and downsteam operation of dairy cattle farming, milk processing and relevant product marketing.
The Anchor Group will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the existing fodder area and the development of new fodder areas within the project site for animal feed as well as the development and management of the training and technology transfer programme for satellite farmers.
Rhone Ma group managing director Dr Lim Ban Keong commented, “Day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock have been part of our DNA since 2020 when we established an owner-operated dairy farm in Batang Kali, Selangor, to create a sustainable dairy industry. So we look forward to contribute our well-known expertise in animal husbandry towards this venture.
“As an integrated farm, the Jemaluang Dairy Valley will produce locally grown crops on site which will not only lower carbon footprints but also lower the value chain cost per litre of fresh milk. Our expertise in the animal health and nutrition industry will stand us in good stead here as we work together with Kulim to control the quality of milk yield from ‘grass to glass’.”
The Jemaluang Dairy Valley project is part of the Johor state government’s and the ECERDC’s efforts to transform the East Coast Economic Region into Malaysia’s Dairy Valley to boost the country’s fresh milk self-sufficiency level. Construction of the project is expected to be completed by July 2024.
Once fully operational, the project is expected to produce 5.4 million litres of fresh milk annually, boosting national production by 10.0%. This will not only reduce the country’s reliance on imported milk products, but it will also mark a step forward in Malaysia’s goal to be fully self-sufficient by 2025.
