NZ cows help make Malaysian state self-sufficient

1.00pm

Sabah, Malaysia's main dairy region, is set to boost its 90 per cent self-sufficiency in fresh milk with a shipment of New Zealand cows, Kuala Lumpur's Daily Express newspaper reports.

A ship load of 400 pregnant dairy cows has just arrived from New Zealand and is expected to increase the state's annual milk production to 6.5 million litres next year from the present 5.8 million litres.

A spokesman for the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry, Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail, said the imported animals would increase the number of dairy calves born this year to 3200 and, increase annual milk production by a million litres.

The cows, sent to Kota Kinabalu port by Wrightsons, were valued about 2.1 million ringgit ($898,380), by the importer, the Department of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry.

- NZPA