In Malaysia, sheep is reared based on the traditional way, where they are allowed to roam freely in search of their feed. As a result, sheep production is known to be not an economically viable venture. For many years, sheep production in this country has not shown any significant improvement in comparison to the rest of livestock production despite a significant increase in mutton consumption. In 2008, local sheep production could only supply 10% of the total domestic mutton requirement.The difference was met by importation. Import of mutton had increased from 10 707 t in 2004 to 16 303 tin 2007. The quality and value of imported mutton are expected to increase local sheep production. Therefore, efforts should be initiated to increase local sheep production.

Main Research: Dr Kamil Azmi Tohiran