NO, this isn’t some unheard of village in Nippon. It is the same old Bachok in Kelantan which according to HarakahDaily is to be developed into a center for the production of wagyu beef.
The official PAS mouthpiece reported that the state government is planning to further expand the breeding of wagyu beef due to the positive response of its meat.
State Agriculture, Agro-Food Industry and Commodities Committee chairman Tuan Mohd Saripudin Tuan Ismail said wagyu beef simply means “Japanese beef” from a breed of beef that has a special taste, soft and marbling texture.
To produce the meat, it is necessary to use four breeds of Japanese cattle namely Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn, according to the Selising state assemblyman.
“Until now, KelFarm has raised 18 Malaysian wagyu cows and currently has 36 wagyu cows in two KelFarm branches,” he said when visiting the Wagyu KelFarm Sdn Bhd (KelFarm) Farm in Jelawat on Sunday (May 12).
Also present were the State Veterinary Department deputy director Mohd Ridzuan Sulaiman and Kelfarm Sdn Bhd executive director Paizol Akman Awang.
Saripudin is hopeful that the effort would get the support of the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry and the state government.
According to him, breeders in Kelantan have the skills to breed livestock naturally by leveraging embryo seeding technology and artificial insemination to produce good breeds.
Need to sort out clean water supply
Legend has it that certain farmers in Japan were known to feed their cattle with beer in order to stimulate the bovine’s appetite as well as to have them be in a more relaxed state. Hence, many Muslims are wary of consuming imported wagyu beef.
There is also uncertainty over whether proper halal procedure had been followed in the slaughter of the highly pampered beasts that are fed top quality grains and even given massages while in captivity.
However, the beef-related concern has been lifted with Japan Times quoting a Kobe cattle farmer who’s been in the business for nearly 40 years, Yoshinori Nakanishi, as saying that “neither I nor any beef farmer I know would ever dream of giving cows beer”.
What matters most, according to him, is that the premium quality of wagyu beef boils down to “love for the highly sensitive creatures, proper care and feeding them the right blend of grains and grass while the rest is taken care of by nature”.
If the state government can sort out its complicated water supply issues which may be essential to feed its livestock, then there is no reason why the mooted plan to breed wagyu beef cattle cannot come to fruition.
Earlier this year, state Public Works, Infrastructure, Water and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Izani Husin had admitted that there were severe problems in supplying water to certain areas, including Bachok. This was due to insufficient water treatment plants (LRA), water leakage due to ageing pipes and the increase in population.
Note that wagyu beef is one of the most expensive cuts of meat money can buy. If the plan above comes to fruition, more Malaysians might be able to enjoy this premium delicacy without the need for a minor bank loan.
Traditionally, the Japanese imports will carry the name of where the cattle were farmed such as the world-famous Kobe beef.
Is the world ready for Bachok beef? Perhaps it will become famous for its unique flavour due to the water with which the cattle are fed with.
Michelin chefs await with bated breath.… – May 14, 2024
