Cattle integration in oil palm plantations can reduce cattle imports
KUALA LUMPUR: The integration of cattle farming in oil palm plantations is the solution for Malaysia to reduce its dependency on cattle imports, while the diversified agriculture will promote and enhance the ecosystem amid a changing climate, an academician said.
“In oil palm plantations, potential cattle integration with oil palm can result in diversified farming and increase the resilience, productivity, agricultural system’s sustainability, and cost savings in weeding and labour, besides reducing the environmental impact due to agricultural intensification.
“Also with the current situation and uncertain palm oil price and labour shortage due to Covid-19, the oil palm stakeholders don’t just rely on palm oil although palm oil is a reliable supply for vegetable oil and fats market. They need to think of other enterprising ideas related to oil palm plantations,” Prof Mohammad Amizi Ayob, Agrobased Industry Faculty lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan told Bernama.
He said cattle integration in oil palm plantations is not a new phenomenon in the sector but until now the country is still depending on the import of cattle from countries such as India, Australia and Argentina.
Mohammad Amizi said even though most of the agricultural land is being planted with oil palm, there are still some opportunities to optimise the land without causing detrimental effects to oil palm production -one of which is through oil palmcattle integration.
According to the 2020 data from the Department of Veterinary Services, Malaysia’s self-sufficiency for beef in 2018 was only at 23 per cent.
“If 50 per cent of the total planted oil palm areas in Malaysia can be implemented with cattle integration, we can accommodate 1.47 million heads of cattle. This can increase selfsufficiency for red meat to 51 per cent.
“Currently, only a small portion of land under smallholders, government agencies and private sector oil palm plantations is being utilised for crops-livestock integration,” he said.
Mohammad Amizi said oil palm stakeholders such as the private sector, government agencies and smallholders need to play their parts in cattle integration in oil palm plantations.
“However, the management in the private sector remain focused on oil palm production, claiming that livestock integration distracts them from that primary function.
“As a result, our country still imports meat from other countries especially from Australia, Argentina and Brazil,” he said.
The government needed to review as to why oil palm stakeholders, until now, are still reluctant to implement cattle integration in oil palm plantations, he added.
As of 2019, the total planted oil palm areas in Malaysia amounted to 5.9 million hectares and palm oil is exported to 145 countries, thus placing it as an economic generator in the agriculture sector.
This commodity is expected to continue to be important based on its advantages and ability to generate income in Malaysia. - Bernama