PUTRAJAYA: There is adequate food supply including meat for the upcoming Aidiladha celebration, says the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry (Mafi).
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 (gave) permission to import cattle from Thailand,” he said after attending the Crops Sub-Sector Job Matching Seminar here yesterday.
On June 7, 2021, the Veterinary Services Department (VSD) suspended the import of ruminants (cows and buffaloes) from Thailand with immediate effect after assessing 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 March 15, Bernama reported.
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.