Kuala lumpur: A RM105 million commercial chicken farming project to be jointly implemented by the Terengganu Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and CAB Cakaran (Timur) Sdn Bhd is expected to raise the state's chicken meat Self-Sufficiency Ratio (SSR) to 100 per cent.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, State Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Food Security and Commodities Committee chairman Dr Azman Ibrahim announced that the closed-house chicken farming project, comprising three phases, would be carried out on 414.63 hectares of grazing land in Dungun and Setiu. The project is set to create hundreds of skilled, semi-skilled, and technical job opportunities for local youths, while also stimulating the economic chain in Dungun and Setiu.

Dr Azman highlighted that Terengganu has 90 grazing areas covering 5,964 hectares, of which 66.7 per cent remain underutilized. Through the pilot project at three grazing areas, the state government aims to not only attract investment but also activate dormant assets for economic gains. The first phase will begin at Padang Ragut Damar near Setiu, involving 50 broiler houses with a capacity of one million chickens per cycle, amounting to an estimated six million chickens annually.

The second phase is planned for Padang Ragut Kampung Papan near Dungun, with a capacity of 1.4 million layer chickens and an estimated egg production of one million daily. The third phase will see the development of 25 breeder houses on 28.43 hectares at Padang Ragut Cermin near Dungun, equipped with a hatchery to produce 1.4 million eggs for hatching per day.

Dr Azman stated that the entire project's implementation is expected to take two years and aligns with the National Agrofood Policy 2.0, which aims for Malaysia's chicken meat SSR to reach 140 per cent by 2030, positioning the country as a net exporter. Presently, the state's SSR stands at 76.56 per cent, but this project is anticipated to boost it to 100 per cent.