Lawas to export buffalo Mozzarella cheese to Europe, Middle East

MIRI (Aug 9): Sarawak’s pioneer cheese producer Green Valley Dairy Farm in Lawas is poised to export its products, including its buffalo milk Mozzarella cheese, to international markets, said state Deputy Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail.

He said this is in line with the desire to make Lawas a hub for the production of Mozzarella cheese, which is known as the best cheese in the world.

“Green Valley has already linked up with buyers from the Middle East and Africa as well as Europe for export purposes through the global trade network in Dubai,” he said.

At a briefing for federal Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu who was on a visit to the Meragang Buffalo Livestock Station in Merapok on Thursday, he said the Sarawak government is currently building a RM25 million cheese production factory at this station.

“Sarawak wants to turn the Meragang Buffalo Station into a place to process buffalo milk to make cheese from buffalo milk called Mozzarella cheese.

“Mozzarella cheese processed in Langkawi and is halal is already available in Selangor but it is small scale. In Lawas, we want a relatively large one and that’s why it requires substantial funding,” he said.

Dr Abdul Rahman, who is also the Bukit Kota assemblyman, said Sarawak has three large livestock stations; Meragang Lawas for buffalo breeding, Temudu Sri Aman for goats and sheep, and Karabungan Miri for cattle breeding.

“For the purpose of cheese production, the use of modern technology and Murra-type buffaloes capable of producing 25 litres of milk per day will be used.

“In fact, Centexs Lawas also offers buffalo breeding courses to students to be more knowledgeable in the technology of producing downstream products from buffalo,” he added.

The federal minister spent over an hour at the Meragang buffalo station where he was briefed by officers from the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department, Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA) and Green Valley Dairy Farm Lawas.

Also present were Lawas Member of Parliament Dato Henry Sum Agong and SVS director Dr Adrian Susin Ambud.