KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will build more new modern abattoirs to help the development of the meat and livestock industry, says Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

       "Abattoirs are critically important for the meat and livestock industry," said the Deputy Chief Minister while opening a new RM1.35mil abattoir in Kota Belud on Monday (March 28).

       He said the Sabah Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) was preparing to construct two more abattoirs in Keningau later this year with completion due next year.

       "These are vital for the development of Sabah’s meat and livestock industry," said the state Agriculture and Fisheries Minister.

       He said the abattoir services also brought in revenue, adding that the government earned RM700,000 last year.

       The new modern abattoir in Kota Belud district was to replace an old abattoir that was severely damaged by the 2015 flood.

       "The government has been working on this new, modern abattoir to suit industry’s demands,” Kitingan said.

       The newly constructed abattoir would be located on higher ground, away from the river, he said.

       “The ministry also took great precautions to avoid water pollution, and the abattoir was built to the latest specification to prevent abattoir wastewater from seeping into the groundwater,” he said.

       He said the completion of the project was also a good sign as it coincides with the one-year anniversary of the state government’s Sabah Maju Jaya development initiative.

       On another note, Kitingan said his ministry was also studying the possibility of upgrading the facilities at the Sabah Agriculture Institute in Timbang Menggaris to include veterinary programmes up to the bachelor’s degree level.

       He hoped that this initiative would aid in resolving Sabah’s veterinarian shortage.

       Livestock farmers have been attributed a high rate of death among their animals due to a shortage of veterinarians.

       Meanwhile, DVS director Dr Normah Yusop said the higher livestock cost was due to a shortage of animal feed raw materials faced not only locally but worldwide.

       “The high cost of operation is also one reason why farmers limit the number of their livestock. To assist these farmers, the department is broadening its source of animal feed raw materials.

       “This includes working closely with the Agriculture Department to cultivate corn and turn it into animal feed. It is hoped that these locally produced grains would be able to meet demand while also helping farmers diversify their animal feed sources,” she said.