Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen
First of all, I would like to convey the apology from Dato’ Abi Musa Asa’ari Mohamed Nor, Secretary-General, Ministry of Agriculture, Malaysia, for not being able to come to this opening session of APHCA this morning.
We are delighted and honoured to host this 61st Executive Committee Meeting and the 26th Session of the Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific (APHCA) today and to welcome you to Malaysia.
I wish to extend a warm welcome to fellow delegates from the various countries. I realize that you are fully dedicated to the sessions that will follow but I do hope you will also take time to enjoy fascinating Malaysia with its tropical setting, friendly people and multi-cultural cuisine.
I recognize that these sessions are principally designed to enhance the development of the livestock industry within the Asian-Pacific Region. These annual gatherings enable the building of a productive dialogue between APHCA and member countries. They also provide an invaluable opportunity for networking and fruitful contacts between countries.
As a founding member of APHCA, Malaysia has an excellent association with APHCA. Over the years, we have been supportive of the policies and projects under APHCA. This is the fourth time that the meeting/session is being held in Malaysia, the last meeting being held in 1991. We are delighted to be given the opportunity to host this meeting again this year. We are pleased that as much as 40 delegates are in attendance - being from the fourteen member countries namely Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao DPR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. We are also pleased to welcome the twenty experts in livestock production and health, who are present to impart their expertise to the Meeting/Session.
Malaysia is giving strong emphasis on the development of agriculture, including the livestock sector, to increase food production. In fact, agriculture has been declared as the third engine of growth in the country. Of the total GDP for agricultural production (comprising of agriculture, forestry and fisheries), 30 percent is contributed by the livestock sector. Development policies and planning of the agriculture sector are guided by the National Agricultural Policy (NAP) (1992-2010) which aims at “a market-led, commercialized, efficient, competitive and dynamic agricultural sector within the context of sustainable development”. There is a focus on 6 main commodities namely poultry meat, poultry eggs, milk, pork, beef and mutton. For each of these commodities, there are specific targets for production and each has a plan of action.
Speaking about livestock production, I would like to emphasize on the importance Malaysia places on measures to control animal diseases. We are very conscious of the grave threat of animal diseases to the livelihoods of our farming community. In the context of WTO and AFTA, we realize the importance of maintaining a disease-free status, as this is critical, if we wish to tap into foreign markets. The Department of Veterinary Services, thus continues to be committed to rapid and decisive action in keeping the country free of animal diseases. Of the newer measures in controlling diseases, will be the establishment of specific livestock farming zones, so that animal health control measures can be easily regulated and farms closely monitored. At the same time, if there should be a disease outbreak, the Department can easily contain the disease. DVS is endeavoring to improve bio-security on the farm level. Good Animal Husbandry Practice (GAHP) is being promoted by the DVS for the accreditation of livestock production systems on-farm. GAHP procedures will include sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures for controlling animal diseases.
I am pleased to note that APHCA has scheduled a half-day workshop with the theme “Feed Safety, Food Safety” during this meeting. This workshop will also be joined by a group of 20 persons comprising farmers, livestock entrepreneurs, feed millers and food processors. Their presence will contribute first-hand local experience, which would be useful to the forum. Consumers in Asia should expect their food from animal origin to be safe, and it is our duty as legislators to develop a system that delivers this. There is a need for governmental intervention to ensure compliance to feed quality and safety standards. Such programmes have been undertaken by the Department of Veterinary Services over the years which include Quality Assurance Programme (QAP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) as well as proactive monitoring of contaminants in feeds. Our commitment towards modernizing and achieving high feed quality and safety assurance will be seen in the forthcoming institution of a National Feed Act. At the same time, we will have to take steps to ensure that this law is implemented swiftly and applied effectively. For processing food products of animal origin, the use of the Veterinary Health Mark for quality and safety accreditation has been practiced over a number of years. This workshop will be invaluable in contributing to the production of food, which is clean, of high quality and safe for human consumption.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, today’s multifaceted livestock industry and fast changing world calls for a close partnership between countries. Globalization presents many challenges to our Region and as such we should cooperate with the aim of achieving mutual benefits. I hope these sessions will highlight possible avenues for cooperation between countries and also come up with beneficial, cutting-edge resolutions, which can positively impact the livestock industries of member countries.
In closing, I wish to express my gratitude to all delegates and observers for their full cooperation and contribution to the 61st Executive Committee Meeting and 26th Session of APHCA. I take this opportunity to thank the joint organizers FAO-RAP/APHCA and the DVS for organizing this meeting and for providing the necessary funding. I would also like to express my gratitude to the APHCA Secretariat and the DVS Organizing Committee for their diligence. The various sponsors for lunches and dinners are also thanked for their kind hospitality.
I wish the participants a very fruitful and productive Meeting/Session and with that, I declare the 61st Executive Meeting and the 26th Session of the Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific open.
Thank you.