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Last Updated: Sep 25th, 2006 - 11:36:04 |
Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysian state of Sabah is aiming to become the regional hub for quality Halal ruminant and meat production through the setting up of Halal abattoirs staffed by trained Halal butchers.
Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail said ruminant meat is the main focus of the halal food industry considering Sabah has been declared safe and free from foot and mouth diseases since 2004.
To achieve this, he said, the Ministry plans to set up abattoirs that keep to the halal concept in six key producing areas (KPA) in the State, namely two in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau, among others.
"Presently, we have one such abattoir in the State capital and the rest are in the pipeline, dependent on existing funds and approval from the Federal Government to be included under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) and to be constructed in Sandakan, Tawau and Keningau.
"We have also sought cooperation from local authorities at district level to close down all slaughter houses that are not complying with the halal concept except for the pig abattoirs, once such planning materialises," he said.
Rahim said the integrated abattoirs would be equipped with a marketing arm, training school for butchery skills and R& D divisions to enhance the quality of the meat.
He said this in a press conference after launching a seminar on Marketing Strategies of Global Halal Food at a hotel, here, Monday.
The one-day seminar was organised by the Business Management Faculty of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UiTM) Sabah branch to expose and educate its students on marketing issues of global halal food.
Rahim said consumers will not buy meat butchered in wet markets once the Ministry establishes integrated butchery shops in identified regional and village areas that are equipped with cold storages.
"Presently, meat is being butchered in wet markets and later it is put on sale in the premises as well. It is not that we cannot accept the selling of these meat but I believe the premises is not a suitable place to slaughter the meat as it may not be environmentally friendly, and not follow government policies or procedures.
"That is why we have taken the measure to train locals to become certified and professional butchers who will comply with the halal concept and slaughter the meat at appropriate premises certified by the Government like in abattoirs," he said.
In this respect, he said, a total of 35 locals have been identified to learn the butchery techniques in line with the halal concept at the livestock training centre in Bentayan, Tamparuli.
Once the Sabah Meat Technology Centre in Kinarut is operational in October, Rahim said the 35 trainees would do their practical training at the facility.
"The State also needs certified and professional butchers to complement the establishment of more integrated abattoirs in future so that only quality halal meat is produced and certified internationally.
"That is why we are training the 35 locals to become professional and systematic butchers who comply with the halal concept and requirements that are recognised globally," he said.
As for the challenges, Rahim said the response from the private sector to participate in the ruminant meat industry for the local market has been rather lukewarm.
"The level of self-sufficiency for the industry in Sabah is only 13 per cent and we are trying to achieve a target of between 30 to 50 per cent by 2010.
"Hence, we need the participation of the private sector to boost our ruminant meat industry locally including adequate funds to materialise strategies like transfer of technology to enhance the production of quality meat," he said.
On his official trip to Brussels, Belgium, Rahim disclosed that there was positive response from a private company, Bosch, to look into the State's potential to increase the natural rubber supply from 400 metric tonnes (MT) annually to 1,000 MT.
Currently, he said, the State has an existing market in Belgium to supply 400 MT of natural rubber every year for a period of ten years since 1997.
"The company has been buying our natural rubber to make wipers for luxury cars like Mercedes Benz and BMW. I went to Brussels recently with a delegation to increase the volume of supplying our natural rubber annually to them.
"I was made to understand that Sabah is the nearest State in Malaysia that can supply the commodity to them and the company is looking into our capacity as it has opened a factory in China that will process the rubber," he said.
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