Page 205 - Westport Guide To Malaysia

THE GUIDE TO MALAYSIA 197
Water Cress Valley farm and restaurant, Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands. The country’s highland areas offer ideal conditions for growing temperate vegetables and herbs.
30%. The government has formulated various policies and strategies to improve the livestock ruminant
and dairy industries with new livestock breeds and better husbandry methods. This will in turn provide better meat quality, reduce production cost and provide lucrative returns
to small and medium-
scale livestock farmers. Fisheries is also significant, as Malaysians consume
42.7 kg of fish and seafood per person during 2020. Malaysian fishermen landed around 1.38 million tonnes of fish in 2020, while
the aquaculture sector produced RM3.11 billion
in value of food fish and RM494 billion in ornamental fish.
The Way Forward
Malaysia’s historic success in developing the agricultural sector is
and MDUR88 varieties. Pineapples, rambutans, papaya, mangoes, starfruit and coconuts are also significant crops. A huge variety of rare fruits is grown by the informal sector and widely available at roadside stalls and farmer’s markets, although their export value is yet to be realised.
Market gardening for vegetables, herbs and spices is a major sector, run mostly by smallholders and SMEs. Tropical varieties
are grown throughout the country, while temperate vegetables and herbs are increasingly planted in highland areas of Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, although the country relies heavily on imports of onions, garlic and potatoes for climatic reasons. There is a growing trend towards organic farming in this sector, driven both by
consumer demand and industry entrepreneurship.
The livestock sector is led by the highly developed poultry industry, although the ruminant industry (cattle, sheep, buffalo
and goats) is mostly managed by smallholders and their self-sufficiency level (SSL) is still less than
The government has formulated strategies to improve the livestock and dairy industries with new breeds and better husbandry methods. The high-tech Desa Dairy Farm in Kundasang, Sabah, is a perfect example.