SERIAN: The participation of oil palm estates and individual smallholders can help Sarawak to increase its Self-Sufficiency Level (SSL) in beef by 50 percent by 2030.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said this when officiating at the handing over of 81 heads of breeder cattle to the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation (Salcra) Melikin Oil Palm Estate near here yesterday.
They are part of the herd of 640 including 15 bulls imported from Australia last month.
“Cattle rearing in oil palm estates can greatly increase total cattle production because the state has a huge area under the crop.
“With an estimated 1.5 million hectares of oil palm and an estimated 40 per cent or 600,000 hectares suitable for cattle rearing, we can rear up to 120,000 heads (at a stocking rate of one animal per five hectare oil palm),” he said.
The deputy chief minister said the state government, on its part, would continue to assist by providing cattle on loan under its CPP (Cattle Pawah Programme).
He said under the programme, breeder cattle would be distributed to the participating estates and smallholders who would pay back to the government the matching numbers within a period of up to six years, which should consist of at least 50 percent female.
The returned animals would then be redistributed to other estates or individuals and the circle would continue, he said.
“To-date, a total of 44 estates and 14 smallholders has been assisted with a total of 11,511 heads of breeder cattle consisting of 10,816 heifers and 695 bulls under the CPP,” he said.
Uggah, who is the Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development (Manred) Minister, as well as Salcra chairman, said cattle rearing was a source of income for the estates besides helping them to make some savings.
He said the concept of rearing cattle in estates was initially as natural grass mowers but it had evolved into commercial rearing.
“In Salcra estates, it has been noted that the herd can reduce weeding cost by RM110 per hectare per year.”
In addition to reducing chemical usage and weeding time, he said it would maximise land use.
“Of course, the animals can be sold, too “ he said.
On Salcra, he said it had 10 oil palm plantations covering a total area of almost 10,000 hectares and with 2,310 heads of Australian Brahman.
It has targeted to produce some 4,275 heads by 2023.
He said Salcra planned to set up modern breeding farms where modern management and technology like artificial insemination would be the norm to increase productivity.
He said the agency would collaborate with the state Department of Veterinary Services on this.
In his briefing earlier, Salcra acting general manager Joseph Blandoi said the agency was on course to help Manred livestock production programme and to meet the state beef SSL.
“We aim to produce 1,000 heads of calves each year by 2021.
“We are now focusing on cattle rearing in our estates on a semi-intensive concept with breeding centres, feedlots and fieldlots.
“For cattle feed, we can use the palm kernel cake or palm kernal extract produced locally.
“The male calves can be fed on this to fatten them up so that they can reach market weight faster,” he added.
