NFC venturing into S'pore absurd, says PKR
Published: Mar 1, 2012 9:47 AM | Updated: Mar 1, 2012 6:14 PM
National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) chairperson Salleh Ismail's explanation that the local market is too small, hence the need for NFC to expand overseas, does not make any sense, says PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli.
NFC's explanation that the limited local market neccessitates expansion abroad does not hold water, says PKR's Rafizi Ramli.
National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) chairperson Salleh Ismail's explanation that the local market is too small, hence the need for NFC to expand overseas, does not make any sense, says PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli.
This is because NFC's current beef output is way behind the target set by the government, one of the criteria for awarding the RM250 million soft loan to the corporation, said Rafizi.
Comparing the output target stated in the official website of the Veterinary Services Department with NFC's current production, Rafizi said he found that the company's output in 2010 met only 0.8 percent of the department's target for 2009.
According to Rafizi, NFC slaughtered 1,914 cows from 2008 to 2010, producing 400 tonnes beef annually (assuming that each cow slaughtered provides 200kg of meat), but the government's target for NFC in 2009 was 50,000 tonnes.
"NFC has no right to talk about new markets abroad as long as it does not meet the target to supply 40 percent of domestic market, because that is the purpose of setting up NFC.
"Salleh's statement that the local market is too small for the NFC output is a lie that insults the intelligence of Malaysians," the PKR leader added.
Rafizi (right) reiterated that he was still awaiting NFC's official statement explaining why the government loan was used to invest in businesses abroad that were not related to the purpose of the loan.
Salleh, the husband of Family, Women, and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, told online news portal The Malaysian Insider yesterday that NFC was building up the market in Singapore and was eyeing Indonesia next.
Salleh said this was necessary as the National Feedlot Centre would produce 78,000 tonnes of beef by 2015 once its abattoir becomes operational, more than what the Malaysian market needed.
"When we have this many tonnes of beef, the Malaysian market will not buy everything, so we have to find other places to sell," he was quoted as saying.
However, Salleh declined to comment on Rafizi's allegation that his family has misused the soft loan to open a premier supermarket in Singapore, only saying that NFC would issue a statement soon to "explain (the matter) in the proper context".
This is because NFC's current beef output is way behind the target set by the government, one of the criteria for awarding the RM250 million soft loan to the corporation, said Rafizi.
Comparing the output target stated in the official website of the Veterinary Services Department with NFC's current production, Rafizi said he found that the company's output in 2010 met only 0.8 percent of the department's target for 2009.According to Rafizi, NFC slaughtered 1,914 cows from 2008 to 2010, producing 400 tonnes beef annually (assuming that each cow slaughtered provides 200kg of meat), but the government's target for NFC in 2009 was 50,000 tonnes.
"NFC has no right to talk about new markets abroad as long as it does not meet the target to supply 40 percent of domestic market, because that is the purpose of setting up NFC.
"Salleh's statement that the local market is too small for the NFC output is a lie that insults the intelligence of Malaysians," the PKR leader added.
Rafizi (right) reiterated that he was still awaiting NFC's official statement explaining why the government loan was used to invest in businesses abroad that were not related to the purpose of the loan.Salleh, the husband of Family, Women, and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, told online news portal The Malaysian Insider yesterday that NFC was building up the market in Singapore and was eyeing Indonesia next.
Salleh said this was necessary as the National Feedlot Centre would produce 78,000 tonnes of beef by 2015 once its abattoir becomes operational, more than what the Malaysian market needed.
"When we have this many tonnes of beef, the Malaysian market will not buy everything, so we have to find other places to sell," he was quoted as saying.
However, Salleh declined to comment on Rafizi's allegation that his family has misused the soft loan to open a premier supermarket in Singapore, only saying that NFC would issue a statement soon to "explain (the matter) in the proper context".
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