S’WAK’S MERAGANG BUFFALO BREEDING STATION SEEN AS PROSPECTIVE GOLD MINE

By Muhammad Ammar Shafiq Hamzah

LAWAS, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Looking at the great potential of the Meragang buffalo breeding station and the buffalo breeding industry as a whole, the Sarawak government through the Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA) has allocated RM15 million to upgrade the station.

The allocation is also for the construction of a factory producing mozzarella cheese from buffalo milk at the station, which is located in Merapok about 27 km from Lawas town.

Established in 1991, the station which operates as a breeding, training and research centre now houses more than 300 water buffaloes which are also used for the breeding programme under the ‘pawah’ (sharing) system.

The project, which is currently under tender process and expected to be completed in 2024, will also have other buildings such as workers quarters and cheese storage rooms.

In order to make the project a success, 'Murrah' buffaloes, the highest milk producing breed, will be imported from India and Pakistan, according to senior assistant veterinary officer of the Lawas District Veterinary Services Department, Robine Asut.

“By 2024, we aim for Meragang station to have more than 1,000 Murrah buffaloes and by 2025 our cheese processing factory will be able to operate at high capacity.

"We will also diversify our products such as producing fresh milk and yogurt as well as looking at the agro-tourism aspect," he told Bernama recently. 

Robine said the Murrah buffalo will also be introduced to local breeders so that they can participate in the mozzarella cheese project.

"The buffalo milk can be sold to us or we will create a collecting centre for us to collect the milk. This is a new form of wealth for our breeders.

“Breeders will have two incomes, the first is milk which is 'white gold' and the second is meat which is 'red gold'. This is the transformation that we will bring compared to only depending on the sale of meat," he said.

Sarawak government established the NRDA on March 15, 2018, to spur economic development in the Lawas and Limbang districts, which cover a total area of 7,790 sq km.

The NRDA, under its chairman, Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, has also taken steps to build a new airport in the Sundar area here, estimated to cost RM600 million.

-- BERNAMA