Sarawak ministry projected to produce 600,000mt of animal feed from palm oil this year
05 Jul 2023
The Sarawak Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development is projected to produce 600,000 metric tonnes of animal feed from palm oil a year, said its minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi.
He said the projection could possibly contribute about 20 per cent of the demand for animal feed from five mills as a start.
“The mills will produce biomass and also black soldier fly as additional protein.
“According to our projection, we will be able to produce 600,000 metric tonnes per year, contributing to about 20 per cent of demand for animal feed,” he said when met by reporters today.
Dr Rundi said the government had to take this step because the price of raw animal feed from Brazil and Argentina was now more expensive.
He said the government had to do something and if developing biomass from the five mills is a success, Sarawak would increase the venture to 85 oil palm mills throughout the state.
“I will make it a policy to ensure that all these products (biomass) can be converted into fodder sources. If we are able to do it, I am positive that we can stabilise the fodder source,” he said.
On the issue of food security in Sarawak, Dr Rundi said the state government wanted to achieve a 60 per cent rice self-sufficiency by 2030.
He said the state had only 38 per cent self-sufficiency in rice that it had to import 68 per cent more to meet demand.
“To improve the self-sufficiency level, my ministry through the Department of Drainage and Irrigation (DID) will develop and improve agricultural infrastructure at rice-growing areas in the state,” he told the media when visiting the construction site of the State Farmers Organisation (SFO) building today.
His deputy Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail and other officials from his ministry were also present.
Source: Borneo Post
