Malaysia aims to make Sarawak a Cheese producer to reduce reliance on imports

Malaysia’s Rural Development Ministry has proposed to make the state of Sarawak a producer of premium ‘buffalo’ cheese.
Presently, Sarawak already has an ongoing breeding programme in Limbang where there are more than 5,000 buffaloes primarily reared for its meat, however this can be further expanded with the cheese project. The ministry is now discussing with potential investors for the cheese production project. In 2021, Sarawak will be embarking on a massive agriculture modernisation programme. Malaysia imported RM400 million (US$94 million) worth of cheese per year, and this new proposal could transform Sarawak into a leading producer of Halal cheese.
A ministry spokesperson further added, “The quality (of imported cheese) may not be what we expect and can be adulterated with non-Halal ingredients.” He added that currently several investors from the US had shown interest to participate in the buffalo cheese production programme. According to some sources, the best cheese is usually derived from buffalo milk.