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KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- Additional permits to import beef will be issued to ensure sufficient supply to meet the increased demand during the coming festive season. Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim said the permits would be issued to applicants who met the stipulated conditions. She said this in the Dewan Rakyat Thursday in reply to Datuk Hasan Malek (BN-Kuala Pilah) who wanted to know why the country could not produce enough beef and still depended on imports. Rohani said domestic production of beef could only meet 20 per cent of the demand. She said that among the problems hampering local beef production were the lack of quality stock and grazing land for commercial cattle rearing, threat of disease and shortage of skilled manpower. Rohani said steps would be taken to increase beef output to 40 per cent by 2015. They included increasing the stock of quality cattle through strategic sourcing and offering incentives to improve the competitiveness of the industry. -- BERNAMA