BAGAN SERAI, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- By 2010, 40 percent of Malaysia's meatproduction is expected to come from integrated rearing, 30 percent fromfeedlots and the balance by traditional methods.Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassinsaid the integrated rearing system was expected to cover one millionhectares of oil palm and rubber estates nationwide and involve 256,000cattle.It was expected to produce 14,200 tonnes of meat annually, he saidafter launching the Veterinary Services Department's Rapid Diagnostic TestKit at Bukit Merah Laketown, here, today.He said the system, introduced in Felda, Felcra and Risda estates aswell as estates belonging to Permodalan Nasional Berhad, was found to besuccessful but had yet to be expanded."Integrated rearing will not only help provide additional earning, butmore importantly, when palm oil and rubber prices fall to their lowestlevel, income from animal rearing can help the farmers," he said.Muhyiddin said the rearing industry had big potential as, currently,Malaysia had to import a huge amount of meat and mutton to fulfill localneeds unlike in the chicken sector where local production was able to meetdemand.However, several factors such as the high cost of animal feeds hadaffected efforts to expand the breeding industry, he said.He said the Cabinet had directed the ministry to find ways to reduceimports of animal feeds which was worth almost RM1.8 billion."At present, a large portion of animal feeds is imported and they aremostly corn for chickens. We are trying to find substitutes for theimports," he added.-- BERNAMA