Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

yitchee · Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 30 Location: serdang

:?: hi, current i'm still a student, just want to ask bout the future of ruminat farming in M'sia...... :wink:
thanks... :arrow:

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 5:01 pm Post subject:

You like cattle farming yeah? As far as I know the government is pushing on it but I haven't came across any gigantic and international level cattle farm. Anyone want to share your view?

Research on cattle health in Malaysia is also not prominant in comparison to poultry or other livestock... so you got the picture...

yitchee · Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 30 Location: serdang

Dr. TanDY wrote: You like cattle farming yeah? As far as I know the government is pushing on it but I haven't came across any gigantic and international level cattle farm. Anyone want to share your view?

Research on cattle health in Malaysia is also not prominant in comparison to poultry or other livestock... so you got the picture...

i just interested in that kind of farming... but any suggestion?

Dr Ooi · Joined: 20 Dec 2005 Posts: 41

Dear yitchee,

I come across some malaysia pasture and forage resource from MARDI, the link is below,

http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGP/AGPC/doc/Counprof/Malasyia/Malaysia.htm

Hope it is useful for you.

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 12:26 am Post subject:

Nice. It has also a big bendera. Very Malaysia.

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profiles
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MALAYSIA

Dr Free · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 33 Location: ASEAN

Yit Chee,
Cattle farming in Malaysia is very behind in term of technology and know how. The main challege is not so much the environment (heat stress), diseases or forage area. There are other factors in play. I always hear about heat stress as student... sigh... but look at australia outback... it is a desert there and yet they can raise cattle.

A good example of successful cattle farming is Chook Chai farm in Thailand. Thailand faces the all the usual challenge that i mention above. They were succesful because of sheer determination, hard work and goverment support. Furthermore they are not shy to employ and adapt technical know how from the west in the begining. Actually our Padang Hijau and IHK are quite good in the begining. But over the years..... sad to say deteriorated.

The more i discuss, the more the issue get sensitive. I shall stop here.

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:56 pm Post subject:

Thailand's agrobiotechnology is very advanced compared to Malaysia. I was very impressed during my last visit to Thailand. Most Thai people that I met are very determined and hardworking too.

Dr csh · Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 425

Yit Chee, The answer to your question will depend alot on what kind of ruminant production are you talking about. Small ruminant farming eg. goat and sheep will be different from cattle and deer and buffalo, In addition to that, the use of the animal such as meat, milk, wool or hide is also important. So, if you can specify it will greatly help us give you a more specific answer.

yitchee · Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 30 Location: serdang

yup, i went to IHK for prac. last semester....but sadly, the place is shrinking......many area are closed...

but i say from the DVS, alot of paper or books for ruminant farming, but still???
is it the G policies or?

i see some future in this sector....but some how???

wslmiaw · Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 12

It still about human resource and the people who run the show. Look at poultry and swine sectors, it is an exporting sector.

Present leadership of our PM is 101% right to go into the agri sector. Previous mega project like twin towers would totally not helping Malaysia at all in agri sectors.

The govt is going into big scale cattle farming and breeding. That is the way! But we still have a long way to go to be self sufficient in production of cattle.

Dr csh · Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 425

It is not so black and white. In the past, we have branched into the manufacturing sector and become big time players in the international scene. The former prime minister has tried to shed the image of third world country by strengthening the industrial side and building a symbol of how far we have progressed.

I agree that we should increase our emphasis in the agricultural sector and I am glad that we are going in the right direction; however, basing an economy on animal export is risky for us because we do not grow our own feed and a single disease outbreak could cripple exports.

Dr Dunker · Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Posts: 464 Location: Puchong,Selangor

hi guys, just wrote my 5 cents worth on the aquaculture section in ths forum which touch on the 'manufacture vs agraculture' topic. While i have nothing against agraculture since i am in similar field after all. But I think looking at the big picture, manufacturing and developnent of new technologies should take the front seat. Face it, we have tried and tried but our farming have gone no where fast. The trick is to mix the two policies and arrive at an optimum output for both the manufacturing and agraculture sectors. for agraculture to succeed, we need land, and lots of it. But for a country with a growing population like ours land becomes a premium. And here lies the problem. one not only needs land for farming of say, sheep or cows but land is needed to farm the feed too. otherwise as dr. csh said, it will be risky.

chandra2020 · Joined: 28 Sep 2006 Posts: 1

wslmiaw wrote: It still about human resource and the people who run the show. Look at poultry and swine sectors, it is an exporting sector.

Present leadership of our PM is 101% right to go into the agri sector. Previous mega project like twin towers would totally not helping Malaysia at all in agri sectors.

The govt is going into big scale cattle farming and breeding. That is the way! But we still have a long way to go to be self sufficient in production of cattle.

i'm quit dissappointed with our DVS . gov. allocation million rm for agri sector but until now i did not get any thing. every year i apply for cattle milk but never get . according to them no any allocation for sector ruminat. what is this.?? then why gov. encourage acri sector???

wslmiaw · Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 12

Chandra2020, forget abotu applying free of dairy cattle from DVS. Now you see they have got a new big project of RM40 million dairy project in Negri Sembilan? How many dairy cows do you have? There are ways to grow your dairy project.s Have you got the instrastructure already? I would share with you how to grow it!

dark · Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Malaysia

yitchee wrote: yup, i went to IHK for prac. last semester....but sadly, the place is shrinking......many area are closed...

but i say from the DVS, alot of paper or books for ruminant farming, but still???
is it the G policies or?

i see some future in this sector....but some how???

ihk is a training place for those who interested to learn both theory and practical at the same time. The best part is, the courses are free. Its down sizing just to make way for better utilization and optimization of the land. But that doesnt reflects the sunset of this industry.

Our goverment policies is more to integration farming. Utilization of land beneath the rubber or palm trees. Currently we have about 29 target areas of concentration throughout Peninsular Malaysia.. and soon to be open in Sabah dan Sarawak. Each of this TAC harbour about 5 to 10 k of cattles.

There are a few obstacle in this industry ... as listed below
1. Feed
a good quality and less cost. We cannot depend on concentrates, the PKCs or PKEs. Good quality pasture are a rare commodity these days. Formulated feed that sell by Gold Coins or RM Livestock arent that cheap.

2. Land
we try to overcome this by promoting and presuading estates and plantations to rear cattles

3. Marketing
We do have alots of farmers. But they dont have a proper and regular body that can help them with marketing. Goverment side - they do have FAMA. Unfortunately, FAMA more concentrate on agriculture product and somehow livestock seems has been neglected.

4. Buying trend
Malaysian more popular with fresh meat.. or "daging gantung". Its quite hard to sell meat with special cut or any meat frozen products. This is true especially if local frozen product need to compete with foreign that far cheaper. For example, our frozen meat sell at RM 18 per kilos while frozen meat from India is just RM 14 per kilo.

5. Animal sources
This is critical especially to feedlot farmers. You may able to get 5 calves age 1-2 years with average body weight of 70-80kgs easily. But to get constant supply is a difficult task.

5. Last but not least ... break even period.
It takes about 3 or 4 years for get break even. Agriculture or livestock industry needs player have alot of passion and patience. Its not an overnight job nor able to give return in a short time. Afterall whenever you deal with animals .. it means risk is all the time. You may see your cattle today ruminating under tree, but tomorrow? nobody knows.