BEEKEEPING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL - MALAYSIA

BEEKEEPING in Malaysia as I know in which there are two main types of beekeeping, traditional and modern beekeeping. Traditional beekeeping involves harvesting honey from naturally occurring hives of wild bees. The modern beekeeping means raising domesticated bees, in hives managed by beekeepers. Beekeeping in Malaysia has been practised and first found documented since the Sultanate of Malacca. Today, both traditional and modern approaches to beekeeping are used locally. Beekeeping is crucial to the conservation and sustainability of the ecosystem. There may be hundreds of species of bees found around the world. Only a few of these are seen as real pests here in Malaysia and some of them do not sting. Some species, like the Honey Bee (Apis cerana or Apis mellifera) are actually a valuable part of our ecosystem. Normally it costs roughly RM500 per hive to get started including to usee Kelulut ar Stingless Bee (Trigona itama or Trigona thoracica). This doesn't include a continued further investment in queens, replacement bees, sugar (for feeding), and new equipment (as you split your hives, for the new techniques, etc.). Be ready to spend well over RM1,000 in the first year for two hives. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology" blog I write about beekeeping in Malaysia for environmental and commercial activities.

The activities in beekeeping in Malaysia by a farmers known as Raja Mohd Soffian (Hhoto above) in which he keeps at home are of the Apis florea typeas hobby. He said that bees are busy little creatures, flying around from plant to plant, buzzing busily. One or two aren’t usually noticeable but when the colony is on the move, they sound like a squadron of fighter planes out on manoeuvres. Many people are frightened of bees. However as a growing number are adopting bees and advocating for them. Other three Malaysians friens of him talk about their love for our apian friends as 'from dream to honey farm'. Fisrt friend known as Cathy Kong Chai Yuen manages over 30 hives and has a side business selling honey. It all started because she had a dream. “When she retire, she want to run a home farm and live independently in a natural way,” she shares. Back in 2018, she lived in Kuala Lumpur and had only a tiny garden and later she decided to start small and work from there. “Farming is about managing an ecosystem, she points out. And bees are fundamental. I bought a hive of bees to pollinate the plants in my garden. My veggies grew better immediately. She kicked off with a single hive of stingless bees. When I started my research, most of the information was about honey bees from the West with stings and later she found a local group and they taught me about local bees. She started with Bee Savior and learning how to identity, manage and transport bees. She learned to save bee colonies but I was staying in the city and kept one colony in the kitchen in my old place. They were small local honeybees, with stings, but they’re friendly. But with having only a little space, I had to go far into the forest to release other rescue hives.

She (Kong) moved to Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, at the start of the MCO, which finally gave her a bigger garden. She moved in hives of dwarf honey bee (Apis florea) and Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) bees for the plants, and promptly added a fish pond. With the bees working the pollination, and the fish feeding the plants, Kong has the perfect mini ecological system. The bees do more than work in the garden in which she has a cold now and I’m using their honey tea. The propolis that they use to build their hives is also medicinal, as is the royal jelly they make. I’ve stopped buying cold medication. It’s going so well that Kong has set up a farm of 30 hives of stingless bees outside of the city. They are unique insects but many people are so afraid of them, thinking they’re wild and will hurt them. But to me they are just cute and bees are like us humans. If you slap a person, they slap back. Bees are the same! If you just leave them alone, they do their own thing. She knows that bees are hardworking, independent, and not messy. Actually, they are the ideal pet for Malaysian with suitable habitat. Later she love affair continues and aside from her bee farm, Kong continues to rescue bees. She pass rescue hives to fellow farm owners for pollination and to adopters. As for the self-sustaining home farm dream, that continues too. 

In other stories when Dr Mohd Norowi Hamid from Salak Tinggi, Sepang, was director of the Strategic Resource Research Centre at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi), his job was to research biological diversity. In the course of his work, he came across a burgeoning issue. Before his job was to research biological diversity and today, he is the president of MY Bee Savior Association. They found pollinators declining in frightening numbers in which globally, they are disappearing 100 to 1,000 times faster than normal. So they have made it his mission to study and promote local bees. Today, Dr Norowi is president of MY Bee Savior Association, an NGO dedicated to rescuing and relocating bees, and also raising public awareness of apian matters and their importance to humankind. When people think of bees, they usually think of honey but conservationists and scientists value bees for their pollination work. Bees are vital for the ecosystem because they help plants to reproduce. Seedbearing plants and flowers create small grains called pollen that help fertilise plant cells. Actually sometimes, the wind will blow pollen about. Should it land on target, it will help plants to produce fruit. However bees are much more efficient. As these insects buzz about, they transfer pollen from plant to plant. It’s efficient and very effective. The problem is that pollinators like bees are being killed off in huge numbers by people, pollution and climate change. There are over 265 species of bee in Malaysia, from the Asian Honeybee that is super resistant to many diseases, to the tropical carpenter bee. He love that there are so many different species but to be practical, it’s best to think of them in two groups: Social and solitary. More than 90% of all bee species are solitary. They don’t produce honey. The remaining lot are social and they do make honey. In the past, the focus was on honey but today, as numbers are declining and we have a biodiversity crisis, research limelight is on solitary bees. They work hard at keeping pollination going and are vital for conservation.
 

Norowi’s personal favourite are stingless bees. In his career, he has researched 32 species, including the five species that produce honey, and discovered the best way for beekeepers to domesticate two local species. Even they’re small, so they can go everywhere, even little flowers and they are enthuses and are great little workers. Plus, they’re very friendly and he have a hive by my backdoor and nine more in the front. They’re easy-going, and never a problem to anyone. Reported that in 2021, when a swarm of bees arrived at his house in his hometown located at Kg Kundang Patah, in Raub, Pahang. He heard that bees are important and that you can relocate them and went online to see how that might work. From  YouTube and Facebook yielded some information, but relocating a hive is a bit too complex for everyday folk. Soffian called Bee Savior in for the job but his passion for all things apian had been ignited. He watched Mr Lail from Bee Savior move my first bees and after that he decided to take lessons.

In other case activist known as Soffian who now lives in Sungai Merab, Kajang, Selangor recently became a bee rescuer himself. In addition there are more bees came to visit. He live near the forest so they come and live with me. There are seven hives near me now and he watch them every morning, going in and out (of the hives), working away and love them. Before he was told in school that bees are dangerous but they’re not and many people should live side by side as neighbours. Soffian has a day job as a technician but he also continues his volunteer work as bee rescuer. “Tomorrow, I’m relocating two hives. I will bring one to my place and the other to the forest. I will take my wife and my five-year-old son along for this trip. Some hives near Soffian’s home in Sungai Merab, Kajang, Selangor. The bee lover notes that some people call regularly, as they have one hive after another moving in. It’s grist to the mill for Soffian. His favourite species is the red dwarf honeybee or Apis florea because they can build hives anywhere. Sometimes they build in a corridor, sometimes under a table they are very creative!. They are small bees but they can fly quite high too so he had to move them from apartments. Actually when farmers moving bees there are essentially interfering with their home. The Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) able to sting and they sometimes want to fight human. He stun them with smoke and wear protection normlly use two T-shirts instead of one. I get that they’re worried, and it’s OK if they sting me and better not to  allergic. He also an active advocate for bee protection in Malaysia. He posts on Facebook and Tik Tok and educating friends and spreading the good news. better not to burn them but better to save them. Anybody see bees, just call Bee Savior and we’ll come and get the bees for you. Its Free!. Anybody can’t just dump a log of bees in the garden and hope it works. The environment needs to be sustainable. Local need to know your basics, like how bee colonies work from the queen who lays the eggs to the worker bees. Also, you need to be aware of weather and monsoon patterns so you know when to collect honey. By reading a book, taking a short course, or working with an existing beekeeper should be enough to get you started. Thanks...

By,

M Anem,

Senior Agronomist,

Hotel Zenith Putrajaya,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

(August 2024).

TALK ABOUT BEEKEEPING IN MALAYSIA

TALK ABOUT the history of Malaysian Beekeeping, in order to guide current developments in beekeeping. It is also was intended to sustain and promote the local beekeeping industry. Beekeeping in Malaysia has been practiced and first found documented since the Sultanate of Malacca. Today, both traditional and modern approaches to beekeeping are used locally. Beekeeping is crucial to the conservation and sustainability of the ecosystem. It offers natural pollination, future food security, high income generation, medicinal products, and research opportunities. However, bee domestication, problems with queen rearing, low honey production, inconsistency in quality and the high price of honey, dumping of adulterated honey on the local market, the lack of a Malaysian honey standard, and no existing body or centre to monitor beekeeping development have become a major challenge. The issues could address which the better establishment of a Majlis Lebah Negara and a one-stop centre, to guide, monitor and develop Malaysian beekeeping to an exceptional level, for the benefit of all. In Malaysia Bee Keeping activity include for Apis cerana (Lebah Keran), Apis mellifera (Lebah Import) also collection of wild bee such as Apis dorsata (Lebah Tualang). But in recent 7 -10 years ago more farmers are doing with Kelulut (Stingless Bee) as more profitable activity such as Trigona itama, Trigona thoracica dan 7 other minor species. This article in blog "Anim Agriculture Technology" I write about some facts about beekeeping in Malaysia recently.

According to Bernama which 'Bee populations declining due to pesticides, says activist group' should be discussed. The issue of the use of pesticides on crops, synthetic fertilisers also genetically modified crops, and climate change are among the main reasons for the declining bee population in the country. Reported that it is currently very difficult to find beehives in the peninsula, and many traditional beekeepers themselves admit that bee colonies are also decreasing, according to activist group known as Consumers Association Penang (CAP). Its senior education officer N.V. Subbarow said the use of pesticides on crops, synthetic fertilisers, genetically modified crops, and climate change are among the main reasons for the declining bee population in the country. he claimed that their (bees) importance cannot be overlooked as bees are responsible for 80 per cent of the world's food supply. About 70 out of the top 100 crops that humans consume in which supply up to 90 per cent of the world's nutrition are pollinated by bees. Reported that the widespread use of pesticides threatens bees, causing their numbers to dwindle. Additionally some unplanned land development also impacts the habitat of these pollinators as he told Bernama in conjunction with World Bee Day recently. CAP suggested to the community to set up more organic farms because it tends to support higher biological diversity and better bee health thus preventing the extinction of bees. The community could also plant some of their own food crops without using pesticides and synthetic fertilisers as the cultivation of flowering vegetables, fruits, and herbs could attract bees. In an effort to raise awareness about the importance of saving bees, the association has also conducted outreach sessions in several selected schools. Thanks.

By,

M Anem,

Senior Agronomist

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

(August 2024).

VERTICAL FARMING - A RISING INDUSTRY IN UK (Pt 3)

VERTICAL FARMING are growing crops in vertically stacked layers in an indoor environment and it is well known for the producing fast-growing crops. Under the carefully controlled conditions used by vertical farms, plants such as herbs and leafy greens can go from seed to sprout to harvest in a matter of weeks, which is usually a much shorter timeline than that offered by conventional agriculture. So it seems fitting enough that the entire vertical farming sector, not just the crops it produces, is experiencing equally rapid growth. Worldwide, the vertical farming industry was valued at USD2.24 billion in 2018, and experts predict that by 2026 that figure will increase to almost USD13 billion or nearly a six-fold increase. Actually being able to produce crops 365 days a year and without the need for pesticides or much human intervention, while being unaffected by the weather and will appeal to many growers after such prolonged at wet autumn the vertical farming technology sometimes called indoor farming is the practice of growing plants under fully controlled conditions in buildings in many stacked layers, without solar light. Unlike glasshouse production in which relies on sunlight, it makes use of LED lighting to provide different wavelengths of light, according to crop and growth stage need. Together with soil-less growing techniques and environmental control systems, vertical farming is a specialist business. Vertical farming is actually what is it?. This blog 'Anim Agriculture Technology' share an info about tje rising industry of vertical farming in UK and amany other states.

In this case a question ablout either a Hydroponics or Aeroponics to be applied?. The answer was both hydroponics and aeroponics deal with plants without the traditional growing medium of soil. How the plants’ roots are situated in the systems determines the way in which they receive nutrients. In hydroponic systems, the roots are submerged in water and nutrients are delivered in the water. In aeroponics, the roots are exposed and sprayed with a mist containing water and nutrients, resulting in a humid, fog-like environment. Much of this plant growth so far has been concentrated in early-adopter countries, notably the US and Japan, but other countries and regions are catching on quickly. In the UK, for example, vertical farming (along with other forms of indoor and urban agriculture) has taken off in a big way over the past few years. With several dense urban areas, a large population that is increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of food production, and a reputation for technological leadership and innovation, the UK is in many ways the perfect home for a thriving indoor farming scene. In the past year alone, a number of major new vertical and indoor farming projects have been announced  including a plan from the Edinburgh-based company Shockingly Fresh to expand from five to 40 sites  while existing projects, facilities, and companies are seeing impressive growth in their operations due to increased investment and interest.

Latest that the highlights of the UK’s thriving indoor and vertical farming scene include the growing underground, square mile farm, farm urban and LettUs Grow approach. Many probably wouldn’t expect to find fresh microgreens and salad leaves growing 33 meters below the bustling streets of the south London neighborhood of Clapham, but that’s exactly what you’ll encounter at Growing Underground. Billing itself as “the world’s first underground farm,” Growing Underground has transformed a World War II deep-level bomb shelter into a highly sophisticated indoor farm. During the war years, the bunker housed as many as 8,000 troops; today, after 70 years of post-war abandonment, the underground tunnels are home to a hydroponic growing facility illuminated by the latest LED lighting systems. Produce grown at Growing Underground can be found at some of the UK’s biggest retail outlets, including Marks & Spencer. The facility also offers regular farm tours for curious members of the general public. The Square Mile Farms are another London-based vertical farming operation that has been garnering plenty of attention is Square Mile Farms, which is located in the capital city’s busy work and social hub of Paddington Central. The hydroponic growing facility sits on the rooftop of the new mixed-use building at 2 Kingdom Street, where in-demand produce such as kale, fennel, and basil is grown using vertical towers and no soil.  Given its busy central location, Square Mile Farms hopes to make ongoing connections with the Paddington community and to inspire neighborhood residents to take an interest in local, sustainable, nutritious food. The farm aims to achieve this goal not only through its fresh crops, but also by hosting workshops and events centered around food and farming. For example, How to Grow Your Own Microgreens is a popular ongoing workshop offered at the farm, while other recent talks have covered topics such as the basics of healthy eating and how to minimize food waste.

For Farm Urban actually there are many innovative vertical and indoor farming projects popping up in the UK’s capital, but London is far from the only city where vertical farms are growing. Liverpool, for example, is home to a technically advanced vertical farm that has already been in operation for half a decade. Founded by two academics in 2014, Farm Urban is housed in the deep basement of a former sugar factory; the hydroponic operation not only grows crops for commercial sale, it also serves as a department of the Liverpool Life Sciences University Technical College. Since Farm Urban was established, its two co-founders have gone on to install hydroponic vertical growing systems at a number of other major public sites, including the University of Liverpool, the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, and the Ness Botanic Gardens. The LettUs Grow concept in which most vertical and indoor farms rely heavily on advanced technology in order to be able to create the perfect growing conditions all year round for their crops. This kind of technology is basically developed and provided by companies like LettUs Grow, a Bristol-based enterprise that designs hardware and software for indoor growing facilities. Some of the key focus areas for LettUs Grow are aeroponic growing operations with this growing technique, plants’ roots are not submerged in a nutrient solution but suspended in air and misted with the solution. LettUs Grow also focuses on closed-loop control via the company’s cloud-hosted Ostara platform, as well as data capture tools that allow growers to understand exactly how their crops are doing and what adjustments need to be made. This article divided in 3 segment that was Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 respectively. Thanks.

By,

M Anim,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

(Wrote in December 2020).

This rticle updated in August 2024.

VERTICAL FARMING - A RISING INDUSTRY IN UK (Pt 2)

VERTICAL FARMING are growing crops in vertically stacked layers in an indoor environment and it is well known for the producing fast-growing crops. Under the carefully controlled conditions used by vertical farms, plants such as herbs and leafy greens can go from seed to sprout to harvest in a matter of weeks, which is usually a much shorter timeline than that offered by conventional agriculture. So it seems fitting enough that the entire vertical farming sector, not just the crops it produces, is experiencing equally rapid growth. Worldwide, the vertical farming industry was valued at USD2.24 billion in 2018, and experts predict that by 2026, that figure will increase to almost USD13 billion or nearly a six-fold increase. Actually being able to produce crops 365 days a year and without the need for pesticides or much human intervention, while being unaffected by the weather and will appeal to many growers after such prolonged at wet autumn the vertical farming technology sometimes called indoor farming is the practice of growing plants under fully controlled conditions in buildings in many stacked layers, without solar light. Unlike glasshouse production in which relies on sunlight, it makes use of LED lighting to provide different wavelengths of light, according to crop and growth stage need. Together with soil-less growing techniques and environmental control systems, vertical farming is a specialist business. Vertical farming is actually what is it?. This blog 'Anim Agriculture Technology' share an info about tje rising industry of vertical farming in UK and amany other states.

The technological advances according to Leo Marcelis of Wageningen University in which the vertical farming industry received a kick start from advances in the performance of LED lighting, which can be used to provide the type of light that different plant species need at a much better price than the previously used high-pressure sodium lamps. This is the most interesting bit. “LED lights, which are essential for replicating natural daylight, can be used to change the way plants grow, when they flower and how they taste. It’s all about varying the spectrum used at different growth stages. LED lights have other advantages, he notes. They can be arrange and positioned between plants and layers, produce hardly any heat radiation and are more energy efficient. Asked whether vertical farming is sustainable, Prof Marcelis says that the current bottleneck is energy use. It meets so many basic requirements such as much lower water and nutrient use but the technology is energy-intensive. Of course the technology is improving all the time, especially with lower-cost LED lighting and other technical developments. Vertical farming is capital intensive too. Plenty of start-up funding is required, with pay-back times depending on the unit’s operational efficiency and chosen retail route. While some have failed, others are finally starting to make small profits.

Report by a scientist in a case Study by a company named  LettUs Grow in which the extreme weather events and consumer demand for freshness are the two reasons LettUs Grow’s co-founder Charlie Guy (pictured) cites as being behind the current interest in vertical farming. In addition, being able to get consistent yields and produce quality for 12 months of the year, with the traceability and integrity that supply chains require, is opening up market opportunities for both existing growers and entrepreneurs. Whether it’s a very cold spell, such as the Beast from the East, or a lengthy summer drought bringing water shortages, the frequency of extreme weather events is increasing. This has a cost to both growers and consumers. For the diversification, his Bristol-based company designs the hardware and software needs for indoor growing facilities and is seeing interest from traditional producers, who are looking at an indoor system as a diversification project. For existing growers, they can add a valuable revenue stream. They are predictable and scaleable, offer year-round production and tend to fit in well with existing projects such as renewable energy and anaerobic digesters. 

About the technology, the LettUs Grow concept is based on aeroponics and a technology platform known as Ostara. Aeroponics give better growth rates than hydroponics, he claims, while using up to 95% less water than conventional agriculture. Aeroponics puts more oxygen in the root zone, which is why the plants perform better. Ostara known as its cloud-hosted software which offers closed loop control. Mr Guy explains it that does the data capture and automated control of the growing environment, bringing the food safety and traceability that’s needed, but also offering the potential to use sensors and robotic technology. That’s important, because energy and labour should be the two key areas of focus with any vertical farming project. They have the final say on profitability. Vertical farming is not just about lettuce, he stresses. “Although the focus has been on high-value herbs and pea shoots, there are around 60 different crops that can be grown in this way. The key to choosing what’s right for you is to look at what access you have to various markets, rather than opting for the fashionable crops. 

This article divided in 3 segment that was Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 respectively. Thanks.

By,

M Anim,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

(December 2020).

Updated August 2024.

VERTICAL FARMING - A RISING INDUSTRY IN UK (Pt 1)

VERTICAL FARMING are growing crops in vertically stacked layers in an indoor environment and it is well known for the producing fast-growing crops. Under the carefully controlled conditions used by vertical farms, plants such as herbs and leafy greens can go from seed to sprout to harvest in a matter of weeks, which is usually a much shorter timeline than that offered by conventional agriculture. So it seems fitting enough that the entire vertical farming sector, not just the crops it produces, is experiencing equally rapid growth. Worldwide, the vertical farming industry was valued at USD2.24 billion in 2018, and experts predict that by 2026, that figure will increase to almost USD13 billion or nearly a six-fold increase. Actually being able to produce crops 365 days a year and without the need for pesticides or much human intervention, while being unaffected by the weather and will appeal to many growers after such prolonged at wet autumn the vertical farming technology sometimes called indoor farming is the practice of growing plants under fully controlled conditions in buildings in many stacked layers, without solar light. Unlike glasshouse production in which relies on sunlight, it makes use of LED lighting to provide different wavelengths of light, according to crop and growth stage need. Together with soil-less growing techniques and environmental control systems, vertical farming is a specialist business. Vertical farming is actually what is it?. This blog 'Anim Agriculture Technology' share an info about tje rising industry of vertical farming in UK and amany other states.

The practice of growing crops in stacked layers in which the vertical farming often incorporates controlled environment agriculture and can be housed in buildings, shipping containers, underground tunnels and even abandoned mine shafts. Vertical farms use soil-free growing techniques and stack crops in specially designed beds and trays, making use of artificial lighting and climate control to get the desired results. During the growing process, four elements are controlled that was lighting, irrigation, fertigation and the climate. It was a global and fast-growing technology for consistent food production. And it’s a fast-growing sector. Worldwide reported that it was worth £1.72billion in 2018 with experts predicting that it will rise to £9.84bn by 2026. Japan and the US are leading the way but other countries are now catching on. Enthusiasts say that vertical farming offers a means of guaranteeing yields and reducing the industry’s environmental impact, while improving the supply of safe, healthy and nutritious food and minimizing the miles involved in its distribution. Malaysia as a developed nation are currently move toward the application of vertical farming technology even though at an early stage. Their vision are locally grown, quick-to-market fruit and vegetables, produced in the neighborhood where it is consumed, with the traceability and integrity that food supply chains demand and is already being delivered by various facilities worldwide.

However this technology are many solutions to challenges to be implemented. These high-tech units are presented as the solution to many of the challenges facing traditional production methods, such as pollution and water use and even if they are currently limited to higher- or added-value crops in order to be profitable. As they spring up around the world, they are also seen as a means of reducing reliance on food imports. The use of automation and robotics to keep human intervention and labor costs to a minimum is attracting interest, while less food waste and making better use of limited land space are bonus features too. It was a trends driving vertical farming in which consider the environmental impact of food production. It related to the high demand for healthy, safe food, Legislation, Urbanization, growing world population. scarcity of natural resources and the changing eating habits. For the UK projects there have been several big projects announced in the last 12 months. Edinburgh-based Shockingly Fresh has ambitions to develop 40 sites and already has five on the go and one in Scotland and four in England. Ocado is involved too of having invested £17m in the sector during 2019. That has seen it enter a joint venture with 32ha, a US firm, and Priva Holdings in the Netherlands, known as Infinite Acres. It has also taken a 58% stake in Jones Food Company, a Lincolnshire-based business producing 420t of leafy greens each year at a facility of 5,120sq m or equivalent in size to 26 tennis courts. In London, there is Growing Underground, which produces micro greens and salad leaves below the busy streets of Clapham, while in Bristol there is LettUs Grow, which provides the cutting edge technology required. This article divided in 3 segment that was Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 respectively.

Thanks.

By,

M Anim,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

(December 2020).

CATTLE INTERGRATION IN OIL PALM IN MALAYSIA

BEEF is an important source of protein in the Malaysian diet. The national beef consumption is forecast to increase with the expected rise in disposable personal income and population growth. The domestic beef industry is, however, rudimentary and not reflective of the size of household demand. The local beef industry has failed to grow because of its relatively high-perceived Domestic Resource Cost (DRC) as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI). The cost may be reduced if beef production enterprises can economize on the use of resources. One of the major cost items in beef production is land, but this can be lowered if such production can be shared with other enterprises. A good option is to rear cattle under oil palm. This will increase the intensity of land use, while at the same time reducing the cost of oil palm maintenance. Under this integrated farming system, both enterprises, i.e. oil palm and cattle, will together provide higher total returns to each hectare of land resource used. Domestic beef production through cattle-oil palm integration is potentially a good venture especially during the current difficult economic situation. The relatively low rate of exchange for the Malaysian Ringgit making saving foreign currency through import substitution more attractive. In 1997 alone, Malaysia incurred RM 418.4 million in foreign exchange through importing beef and live cattle. The government with a high-powered food committee formed by the government to formulate policies and strategies to fight the current economic problems, identified integrated cattle rearing as a possible foreign exchange saving option. This paper analyses the financial viability of the integrated cattle-oil palm farming system and determines a suitable management system. The effect of cattle rearing under oil palm on the cost of oil palm management is also evaluated. This article in the blog "Anim Agriculture Technology" I will discussed about the cattle rearing in oil palm area.

As an overview of the beef industry in Malaysia the cattle population of Peninsular Malaysia increased by 86% from 1980 to 1997, reaching 630 000 animals producing some 20 000 t of beef. The latter only accounted for about one-fifth of total national beef demand. Local beef cattle production can be categorized into five groups: (i) traditional farms; (ii) organized small farms with a feed-cutting system managed by government agencies, (iii) feedlot operating farms; (iv) large-scale commercial farms; and (v) Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) farms. The majority of operators (90%) are traditional small farmers who contribute a significant share to the domestic beef production (Mohd Fauzi and Ibrahim, 1993).

The cattle rearing under Oil Palm with a sunlight intensity of 40%-60% through oil palm fronds is necessary for a reasonable amount of grass and other cover to develop under oil palm trees for cattle to graze comfortably. Cattle grazing are suitable even when the area has only 60%-70% grass cover. The types of plant usually available under oil palm trees are Rumput Pahit (Ottochloa nodosa), Rumput Kerbau (Axonopus compressus), Rumput Selaput Tunggul (Mikania scandens) and Rumput Israel (Asystasia intrusa). Many grass varieties contain nutrients comparable to commercially farmed grasses (Suboh 1997). The dry matter yields of natural forage decline over time in relation to the closure of the tree crop canopy, which reduces light transmission. However, the nitrogen content of tropical grasses increases with shade intensity. Feeding studies have indicated that there is no negative effect of shading on the intake and digestibility of tropical forages. (Wong and Chin, 1998). Nutritionally, the edible forage feed resources in plantations are adequate for some cattle grazing, and provide a daily live weight gain of 250 g/ head. Hence, integration of beef cattle is also suitable in mature oil palm areas, where light penetration is much less than when the trees are young. Oil palm plantations with trees aged seven years or older can produce adequate grass for cattle grazing with a dry matter production of 500 kg/ha/yr. The suitable stocking rate for cattle depends both on types of animal and on grass varieties available under the oil palm (Ariff, 1998). Normally, a one-to two year-old animal can be reared on 3 ha of oil palm. Electric fencing should be used to control the movement of the cattle and restrict them from straying between fields.

Acccording to MAFI, the status of cattle integration under oil Palm was active started in 1994 in which the number of cattle reared under oil palm was 46,789 head. In 1997 it was increased to 56,178 head of cattle were reared by systematic integration under plantation crops in Malaysia, using electric fencing (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Haiwan Malaysia,1998) about an increase for 20%. The main parties farming cattle under oil palm are the settlers in FELDA schemes, but many oil palm companies have recently embarked on cattle rearing under oil palm. Hence, the cattle output is expected to increase in Peninsular Malaysia. In the context of government efforts at reducing beef imports, integrated cattle rearing in oil palm plantations is a useful method for producing cattle locally. FELDA and ESPEK and some other organizations are recent participants of the cattle-under-oil-palm programme. Oil palm plantations with trees of seven years or older can produce 500 kg per hectare per year of dry matter, which is sufficient to justify grazing by cattle. One animal requires about 2.5% to 3% of its body weight in grass uptake and an animal which is one to two years old, requires about 3 ha of oil palm area for grazing. This animal is controlled from straying about by electric fencing. Each enclosure of about 4 - 6 ha requires two workers to manage. This study shows that, in the cases of three estates that were studied, cattle rearing under oil palm can be pursued successfully. The average weight gain of cattle aged between one to two years old was 250 g - 300 g per head per day. The calving percentage was more than 50%, while the mortality rate was below 5%t. The average cost of maintenance was low. An average price of RM 5.50 per kg live weight was obtained during normal times but increased to RM 6.50 per kg during festive seasons. Prices of RM 4.00/kg, RM 4.50/kg and RM 5.00/kg live weight were used to account for the final stock value, depending on the age and sex of the animal. The IRRs obtained from integrated cattle rearing in oil palm plantations, ranged from 25% to more than 50% and the reduction in the cost of weeding ranged from 17% to 38%. That was an additional benefit from the production system adopted. Thanks...

By,

M Anim,

Chuping, Perlis,

Malaysia.

January 2021.

Updated August 2024/

WHICH COUNTRY PRODUCE PALM OIL - THE MOST

TODAY DUE to its versatility and resilience, palm oil has become a key ingredient in a whole host of diverse products we use daily such as detergent, lipstick, shampoo, chocolate, bread, ice cream and bio diesel. Along with the fact that it has a high melting point and doesn't spoil easily, palm oil also became enormously popular because it is relatively cheap, costing significantly less than other vegetable oils. Over the past 50 years, demand for the product has risen sharply with annual production quadrupling between 1995 and 2015 and it is expected to quadruple yet again by 2050. palm oil is now cultivated in tropical rainforests and soaring demand has caused devastating and irreparable environmental damage. Uncontrolled clearing of tropical rainforests has been linked to the destruction of the habitat of a number of endangered species including the orangutan, Sumatran tiger and Sumatran rhino. While palm oil cultivation has lifted incomes in rural parts of poorer nations it has also resulted in widespread labor and human rights abuses. Rising awareness of these issues have dented palm oil's reputation in recent years, but nevertheless, many consumers remain unaware that they are even using it. This blog "Anim Agriculture Technology" write about the most country producing palm oil.

The fact that palm oil is present in nearly every facet of our lives in which few countries are responsible for producing it. According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture and FAO Statistic, nearly 85% of palm oil is produced in just two countries that was Indonesia and Malaysia. In 2019 reported that Indonesia produced 42.5 million tons for 58% of global production while 19 million tons came from Malaysia or 26% of the global supply. Other major palm oil producers include Thailand, Colombia and Nigeria, though all three produced less than 3 million tons last year. By today, Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil in which it surpassing Malaysia in 2006 when producing more than 20.9 million tonnes as a number that has since risen to over 34.5 million tons (2016 output). Indonesia expects to double production by the end of 2030. By 2019 estimated that this number was 51.8 million tons. At the end of 2010, 60% of the output was exported in the form of crude palm oil. FAO data shows production increased by over 400% between 1994 and 2004, to over 8.7 million metric tonnes.

Malaysia is the world's second largest producer of palm oil for many years but in 1992, in response to concerns about deforestation, the Government of Malaysia pledged to limit the expansion of palm oil plantations by retaining a minimum of half the nation's land as forest cover. In 2012 Malaysia manage to produced 18.8 million tonnes of crude palm oil on roughly 5,000,000 hectares (19,000 sq miles) of land. Though Indonesia produces more palm oil actually Malaysia is the world's largest exporter of palm oil having exported 18 million tonnes of palm oil products in 2011. India, China, Pakistan, the European Union and the United States are the primary importers of Malaysian palm oil products. In 2016, palm oil prices jumped to a four-year high days after Trump's election victory in the US. Today Thailand is the world's third largest producer of crude palm oil, producing approximately two million tonnes per year, or 1.2% of global output. Nearly all of Thai production is consumed locally. Almost 85% of palm plantations and extraction mills are in south Thailand. At year-end 2016, 4.7 to 5.8 million rai (750,000 to 930,000 hectares) were planted in oil palms, employing 300,000 farmers, mostly on small landholdings of 20 rai (3.2 ha). ASEAN as a region accounts for 52.5 million tonnes of palm oil production, about 85% of the world total and more than 90% of global exports. Indonesia accounts for 52% of world exports. Malaysian exports total 38%. The biggest consumers of palm oil are India, the European Union, and China, with the three consuming nearly 50% of world exports. Thailand's Department of Internal Trade (DIT) usually sets the price of crude palm oil and refined palm oil Thai farmers have a relatively low yield compared to those in Malaysia and Indonesia. Thai palm oil crops yield 4 - 17% oil compared to around 20% in competing countries. In addition, Indonesian and Malaysian oil palm plantations are 10 times the size of Thai plantations. Colombia reported in 2018 had total palm oil production in Colombia reached 1.6 million tonnes in which it representing some 8% of national agricultural GDP and fourth in the world benefiting mainly smallholders (65% of Colombia's palm oil sector). According to a study from the Environmental, Science and Policy, Colombia has the potential to produce sustainable palm oil without causing deforestation. In addition, palm oil and other crops provide a productive alternative for illegal crops, like coca. Nigeria in 2018 are the fifth-largest producer palm oil in the world with approximately 2.3 million hectares (5.7 million acres) under cultivation. Until 1934, Nigeria had been the world's largest producer. Both small- and large-scale producers participated in the industry. Thanks...

By,

M Anim,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia

(January 2021) and updated July 2024.

Posted from,

Room 5023A, Amerald Hotel,

Desaru, Johor.