Sarawak’s pioneer cheese producer, The Green Valley Dairy Farm (Green Valley), is set to roll out its first batch of mozzarella cheese from its processing plant in Merapok this August.
The RM16 million (US$3.74 million) plant, located at the Meragang Buffalo Breeding Station, is set to be a producer of quality buffalo milk mozzarella for international markets.
According to company spokesperson, “This facility will position Lawas as the largest mozzarella cheese producer in the Southeast Asian region, targeting exports to the EU and regional markets.”
The Meragang station will house over 700 Murrah buffaloes from Australia, including over 200 heads in the first phase. The 2nd phase will add more than 500 buffaloes by the end of the year, bringing the total number of Murrah buffaloes placed at the Meragang station to almost 1,000. Murrah buffaloes can produce between 16-20 litres of milk daily compared to the current paddy buffaloes, which can only produce lesser than 6 litres daily.
In Malaysia, mozzarella cheese is currently processed in Langkawi and is halal, as well as produced on a small scale in Selangor. The upcoming Lawas production will be the biggest in the country.
In the near term, Green Valley is also eyeing exports to the Middle East, Africa and Europe for its mozzarella cheese.
