The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry is expected to announce the rebranding of the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project next month, in an effort to revive its operations.

Minister Salahuddin Ayub, said the revival of the project was to help meet the country's livestock needs which were affected following controversies surrounding the project.

He said the project must be revived immediately for the government to achieve the 30 percent target of local beef production while reducing dependence on imported meat.

"We will continue with the original idea of the NFC project and will engage new operators who are capable and really interested to ensure the success of the project.

"I have asked the ministry's secretary-general to draft a proposal within a month," he said in an interview with Bernama, at his office.

He said before making the official announcement, the proposal on the project would be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat during the meeting of 14th Parliament, to secure sufficient funds for the project.

According to Salahuddin the move to revive the project was a practical and realistic decision as there was a need to increase local meat production.

The National Feedlot Centre managed by NFCorp, was launched in 2007 to monitor, guide and train contract farmers.

However, the project was embroiled in a controversy when NFCorp executive chairperson Mohamad Salleh Ismail, husband of UMNO Wanita chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, was investigated and charged with two counts of misappropriating a total of RM49.7 million from the NFC.

Mohamad Salleh was later acquitted of the charges on Nov 25, 2015.

- Bernama