KUALA BERANG: The government is committed to creating a large-scale sado cattle breeding hub in Terengganu to meet market demand, said Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
He said this could be realised through various plans outlined by the federal government together with the state government and discussed in the Engagement Meeting on the 12th Malaysia Plan held at Wisma Darul Iman, Kuala Terengganu this morning.
“Many of the operators are from the low-income group (B40 category) ... they will surely need the government’s support and assistance to increase productivity and quality of their livestock.
“We will work with the Veterinary Department and the state government to provide the support to set up the hub which will ensure more effective marketing and produce good returns to the sado cattle entrepreneurs in Terengganu,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after visiting a sado cattle breeding centre in Kampung Cepoh near Kuala Telemong in Hulu Terengganu today as part of a one-day working visit to the state.
Azmin said at present, there are 200 people breeding the sado cattle on a small-scale basis in Terengganu, working individually.
“The roles played by the federal government, state government and Veterinary Department are crucial in providing encouragement, incentive support and providing better infrastructure through the use of the latest technology so that the output and products can penetrate the export market.
“Terengganu still has a lot of land which could be optimised as a hub for the breeding of the sado cattle. I was told that at present, the operators have to lease breeding plots. So if the state government can find suitable land for breeding sado cattle on a larger scale, I am confident it would benefit not just the breeders but also the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the state government was very committed to helping the people of Terengganu generate income in three areas, namely breeding, agriculture and fishery.
“We launched the Terengganu Agricultural Strategic Plan 2019-2023 recently to utilise about 12,000 ha of land for these areas.
“We will discuss with the federal government and agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry ways to enhance the state’s role in these areas,” he said.
The plan underlines six strategic thrusts comprising 61 strategies to be implemented through 128 programmes in a mission to transform Terengganu’s agriculture sector to ensure food security and make agriculture a business. — Bernama
