Article: Go for integrated farming

Monday July 27, 2009

By IVAN LOH

STATE and area farmers organisations in Perak have been asked to emulate the success of two oil palm estates in Kampung Gajah in rearing cattle on estate land.

Perak Malaysian Agricul- tural Research and Develop- ment Institute (Mardi) senior assistant research officer Mohd Yunus Ahmad (pic) said the two estates were La- dang Jaya Baru and Ladang Rakyat.

Mohd Yunus said many plantation owners were reluctant to have cattle roaming in the estates, fearing that the animals would destroy the land and eat the palm fruits.

"We have the data to prove that the cattle will not destroy the terrain and crops," said Mohd Yunus during a visit to Ladang Jaya Baru and Ladang Rakyat on Wednesday.

He said having the cattle grazing and roaming in the estates had proved to be helpful to the palm oil estate management.

"The cost for weeding has been cut to half since the Brakmas cattle were brought into the palm oil estates in 2003.

"Before they were brought in, the cost for weeding was about RM152 per ha annually.

"In 2006, the cost dropped to RM54 per ha," he said, adding that the use of chemicals that were harmful to the environment and foreign plantation workers had also been reduced.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: North 27 July 2009