MANPOWER constraints at the Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak (DVSS) have renewed calls for the establishment of a dedicated body to drive the state’s livestock sector.
Tebedu assemblyman, Dr Simon Sinang Bada, said the proposed Sarawak Livestock Industry Board (SLIB), which had been mooted previously, could help streamline industry development while allowing DVSS to focus on its core regulatory functions.
He said the board could take on the role of commercialising and expanding the livestock sector, while DVSS concentrates on disease control, import and export management, enforcement and laboratory services.
“DVSS is currently dealing with challenges including rabies, which has recorded four human deaths this year, as well as a recent African swine fever outbreak in Betong.
“This would allow DVSS to focus on critical areas such as disease eradication, quarantine and enforcement,” he said during the debate on the motion of appreciation for the Head of State’s address at the august House today.
He added that the proposed board could also help strengthen food security and increase production, with a target of raising the self-sufficiency level (SSL) for beef and mutton to at least 25 per cent by 2030.
He said the board could oversee the development of Pig Farming Areas (PFAs), promote ruminant breeding centres such as in Sungai Pinang, Temudok, Layar and Karabungan, and encourage private sector participation.
The board, he said, could function as a statutory body with corporate powers, including managing assets and legal matters, with the long-term aim of positioning Sarawak as a net food exporter.
