Milk master stockist seeks Uggah meet over import ban

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KUCHING: The distributor and master stockist of Farm Fresh milk says the income of its home dealers has been adversely affected by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Sarawak’s suspension of the import of ultra-high temperature (UHT) fresh milk, including flavoured ones.

Representing 163 home dealers, Delizeuro Trading representative Kiew Fern Chik said they hope to meet up with Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah today (Feb 14) to discuss the issue.

“The home dealers comprise small traders, home-based retailers, housewives, single mothers, university students and part-time income seekers. They have lost good income.

“It is important for them to know how long the suspension will be,” said Kiew, who showed a letter addressed to Uggah – also deputy chief minister – when met yesterday.

“Under the master stockist programme, the dealers will take home the fresh UHT milk for them to market and sell. The UHT milk has reached a lot of places including in rural areas, benefitting children the most,” she added.

DVS Sarawak announced the suspension on Feb 4 to regulate the import of fresh milk in order to ascertain the origin of the milk, as well as the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) status of exporting countries.

The ‘Suspension on the Importation of Fresh Milk’ notice was undersigned by DVS director Dr Adrian Susin Ambud.

“Milk sourced from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)-free countries and reprocessed in a state or a country with FMD is not allowed to be imported into Sarawak,” said the notice.

Sarawak has been free from FMD since 2004.

The importation of UHT milk from Australia and New Zealand into Sarawak is still allowed.