JOHOR is aiming to produce more than three million litres of fresh milk in 2026 through its large-scale Jemaluang Dairy Valley (JDV) project, as over 1,000 dairy cows imported from Australia begin arriving at the Mersing facility.
Johor agriculture, agro-based industry and rural development committee chairman Zahari Sarip said most of the imported cows were pregnant, with around 1,000 calves expected within the next three to six months.
“This will enable us to produce over three million litres of milk next year, and we expect the figure to increase to between four and five million litres by the following year,” The Star reported him saying.
Zahari added that in the next five years, milk production from JDV is expected to reach around 12 million litres annually.
“This will not only meet local demand but also increase the country’s overall milk output by about 20 per cent,” he told reporters after inspecting the newly arrived herd at Johor Port in Pasir Gudang on 1 November.
JDV is a strategic collaboration between the Johor government and the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC), managed by Jemaluang Dairy Valley Sdn Bhd.
According to Zahari, each cow is capable of producing about 35 litres of milk per milking session.
“We expect the cows to start producing milk by January or at the latest by March next year. More cows may be imported from Australia next year, but it depends on our needs and whether we can reach our target,” he said, adding that the animals will undergo quarantine before being transported to the farm.
He said the dairy project would help reduce Malaysia’s dependence on milk imports and stabilise domestic supply.
“More importantly, it will meet local demand and create new opportunities for small-scale dairy farmers. I have discussed with Jemaluang Dairy Valley Sdn Bhd to engage with local farmers once the operation is fully running so that they can channel their milk production to JDV.
“In the past, some smallholders faced challenges selling their milk and had to discard the excess. With JDV’s processing facilities, they will now have a proper outlet,” he said.
Zahari added that the dairy valley is also expected to become an agrotourism attraction in Mersing.
“There are already many videos about it on social media, and once operations begin, we plan to bring reporters to visit the site,” he said. - November 2, 2025
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