The government aims for 100% self-sufficiency in fresh milk by 2028, boosting local production with a RM30 million project and tackling feed costs.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security aims to achieve complete self-sufficiency in fresh milk production by 2028.

Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the National Dairy Industry Development Programme 2021-2025 has already met its five-year target of producing 20 million litres.

He revealed that the fresh milk Self-Sufficiency Ratio (SSR) showed a strong upward trend from 2021 to 2023.

The SSR rose from 56.7% in 2021 to 57.3% in 2022, before reaching 66.8% in 2023.

It experienced a marginal dip to 66.7% in 2024 due to factors including lower participation among small-scale breeders.

To reach the 100% target, the ministry is implementing the National Dairy Production Strengthening Project under the 13th Malaysia Plan.

The project has a RM30 million allocation to increase livestock populations and provide modern equipment.

Mohamad outlined several measures to address the impact of rising animal feed costs on milk prices.

This includes developing over 136,000 hectares of land to produce 1.25 million tonnes of animal feed annually.

The ministry is also developing high-potential maize varieties and researching local feed alternatives.

Research focuses on palm kernel cake, soy waste, and moringa leaves to reduce import dependency.

Additionally, the government will launch a campaign this year to promote local fresh milk.

The campaign aims to raise public awareness of its benefits and encourage consumption of natural milk without added sugar.

 The Sun Malaysia