HELP SMALL-TIME RUMINANT BREEDERS
LAWAS: Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan has called for assistance to be given to small-time village ruminant breeders and not just companies involved in integrated farming.
He said this would strike a balance in the state's meat production.
He said this would strike a balance in the state's meat production.
"They are the ones who need the assistance, and they also have rearing background, are interested and there should be a balance between the big boys and the small-time farmers," said Tengah when officiating at a goat rearing course in Lawas yesterday.
The course was organised by the Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Unit in the Chief Minister's Department.
According to him, this was a common grouse from villagers throughout the state and should be given proper consideration.
While pointing out that commercial scale production was welcome, he said, small-time farmers could also be assisted through a more systematic approach to help them find greater success.
"When they have taken off, they could be organised into groupings where assistance in marketing and others could be channelled," he said.
Tengah added that farmers should also be committed and see through their undertakings as well as increase their knowledge to increase productivity and earnings.
"The moment you start, believe that you will succeed and do not worry about failure all the time," he said.
The course, attended by 80 participants, aimed to increase the knowledge of traditional goat rearers and to raise meat production in the state, which still lagged behind other states despite vast areas of land.
The Agriculture Department has identified Limbang and Lawas as the main production centre for buffalo rearing, including the introduction of the Pawah Scheme, which also involved the Agriculture Bank.
Earlier, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department (Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development) Mohd Naroden Majais said ruminant courses, including on modern cattle rearing, would be organised by his ministry particularly in northern Sarawak, which is the centre of ruminant meat production.
He said Jampari and Boer goat species are in high demand and suitable for commercial scale farming.
He said one importer from Brunei required 10,000 goats monthly or 120,000 yearly, while Sarawak only had a total goat population of 14,000.
Naroden also cited a cattle rearer in Selangor who earned RM 5.6 million from a two acre piece of land on a feed lot system, which could be replicated in northern Sarawak.
"You don't need a large area of land to be productive in cattle or goat rearing and the market is huge," he said.
Among those present at the function were Tengah's wife Datin Dayang Morliah Datuk Awang Daud, department advisor Datuk Azmi Abdullah, Temengong Paris Kaya and Temengong Sabli Hamid.
By Philip Kiew
By Philip Kiew
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