The best 28th VAM Congress was held here in Kuching

Sarawak made history by organising the best 28th VAM Congress here in Waterfront Hotel, Kuching.

Dr Leonora Tuah

Dr Helen Mitin

VAM Gala Dinner

DG Dato Dr Kamaruddin

SVA Remark Dr Stephen

VAM Fraternity Nite

VAM Congress 2016 in Kuching, Sarawak

We are pleased to announce the date and venue of the 28th VAM Congress 2016 & 28th VAM Annual General Meeting 2016.

 

The 28th VAM Congress:

Date: 23 – 25 September 2016

Venue: The Waterfront Hotel, Kuching Sarawak

 

The 28th VAM Annual General Meeting (Election of New VAM Exco):

Date: 23 – 25 September 2016

Time: 2.00 – 5.00 pm

Venue: The Waterfront Hotel, Kuching Sarawak

 

Department Of Veterinary Services Sarawak

KUCHING: There is a need to draw up a master plan for the rubber industry in Sarawak in order to transform the industry, suggested Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.

He said this is because rubber has been and will continue to play an important role in the development of the state’s rural economy while contributing to its export earning, employment opportunity and generating income for rubber smallholders mainly in the rural areas.

“Currently, there are 175,000 hectares of rubber smallholdings scattered all over Sarawak. The size of the farm holdings of these smallholders ranges from one hectare to 10 hectares. Seventy per cent of rubber products produced by the smallholders are in the form of cup lump while 30 per cent are dry or smoked sheets.

“There are four Standard Malaysia Rubber (SMR) factories in Sarawak, three in Kuching and one in Betong. However, the state does not have high downstream value-added products. The SMR rubber is only for export in the raw form. In terms of yield, we only reach a production of 800 kg per hectare as compared to 1,200 kg per hectare at national level,” Uggah said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.

As such, the rubber industry in the state is merely to supply raw rubber, which should no longer be the case if we have the downstream industry, he reasoned.

Learning from the development of the rubber industry in West Malaysia, he said the industry has vast potentials when it is developed in a more integrated manner.

“The competitiveness of the rubber industry should be examined as an integrated entity spanning the entire industry from rubber cultivation to downstream value-added industries.

“Whilst rubber cultivation per se does not generate attractive returns to investment, rubber product manufacturing and rubber wood industries offer lucrative returns,” he said.

Meanwhile, Uggah also informed the august house that the government was in the process of establishing the State Department of Veterinary Services as a dedicated agency to develop the livestock industry.

The establishment of the department will put the government in a better position to enforce The Veterinary Public Health Ordinance, 1999 efficiently and effectively, he said.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/06/16/uggah-proposes-master-plan-for-rubber-industry/#ixzz4BvYMomMl

Prospect of Livestock industry in Sarawak

Sarawak who have vast terrain is not only suitable for agricultural activities but but also venturing into livestock activities can be profitable if fully commercialised.

Especially at this time of increasing demand for meat in the market provides an opportunity for anyone venturing into the lucrative gain.

However, what is needed is enthusiasm and determination in carrying out farming activities despite starting with only a few goats or cows. To start livestock farming activities do not have to have hundreds of goats or cows to become a successful farmer.

A successful breeder must have knowledge and know how to fully commercialize the livestock and not merely waiting for the sale of meat.

We need to open our mind that the livestock sector is not just wait for the results of meat alone, but we need to look at other things that can be commercialized through these activities.

We can exploit these activities by establishing commercial activities such as producing organic fertilizer or breeding livestock manure worms through this venture.

The livestock sector has proved highly profitable when fully commercialized until there are professionals, doctors or lawyers who ventured into the field.

There are breeders that utilize the animal waste with earthworms which then be sold as high quality organic fertilizer.

In addition to carry out the rearing of cattles and goats, entrepreneurs in this country should take the opportunity and space to carry out other activities such as swiftlet farming  to get a edible bird's nest.

Livestock entrepreneurs  can use the remaining space in the area of ​​goats or cattle to build a house that is used for swiftlet farming.

Swiftlet farms have broad market and the country exported about 150,000 metric tonnes of nests with revenue of RM750 million a year. In fact, birds nests in high demand from China and Europe with the world market is RM8 billion.

Therefore, entrepreneurs who want to start farming activities should possess the knowledge and technology so that activities can be fully commercialized.

Livestock breeding an important industry

Congratulating the organising committee of the Malaysian Society of Animals Production Conference, themed “Bridging Technology Gap for ASEAN Animals Production”, for holding the conference in Kuching, he said this was a noble effort of the Society because animal production was an important industry, not only in ASEAN region but throughout the world.

“Today’s conference is timely in that animal production is plagued by issues like animal welfare, global warming, antibiotic resistance, human and animal competition for food, animal waste disposal and environmental pollution and international trade boundaries.

“Animal products remain an important and integral part of our daily food consumption, and with the congregation of scientists and academicians, and research conducted, the problems of increasing animal production can be solved.

“Food, like water and air, is life and feeding seven billion people every day is a big challenge for the scientists and food producers. Farming of both livestock and crops is the biggest human endeavour on earth, using more than 38 per cent of ice-free land for agriculture.

“By 2050, it will be a monumental task for another generation to feed global population projected at nine billion, and where will we find enough food for the nine billion people without overwhelming this planet?” asked Adenan.

He said the spread of prosperity across the world, especially China and India, would be driving increased demand for meat, eggs and milk, resulting in more pressure to grow more corn and soya beans to feed more cattle, pigs and chicken.

“We should be very concerned on how our food is produced, whether in a sustainable, efficient and safe manner. Farming has impacted on our water supply which can be polluted by pesticide and fertiliser runoffs,” he said.

He pointed out that farming would also affect climate, releasing more greenhouse gasses than all the cars, trucks and planes in the world combined, largely from methane gas released by cattle and rice farms, nitrous oxide from fertilised fields and cutting of trees to grow crops or raise livestock.

“As with all resources necessary for life - water, air and energy must be balanced and sustainable,” said the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the three-day conference is being attended by 180 people from all over the world.

Also present at the opening ceremony were Assistant Minister of Agriculture (Farmers’ Organisations) Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran, President of Malaysia Society of Animal Production Dr Abdu Hassan Muhammad Ali and organising chairman of 1st ARCAP 2014 and 35th Annual Conference of MSAP Prof Dr Loh Teck Chwen.

• 
• DATUK Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu (right), accompanied by Dr Abu Hassan Muhammad Ali (left), touring the exhibition after declaring open the 1st ASEAN Regional Conference of Animal Production 2014 (ARCAP) and 35th Annual Conference of Malaysian Society of Animal Production (MSAP). Also seen are Prof Dr Loh Teck Chwen (second right) and Director of State Agriculture Lai Kui Fung (third right). PHOTO: RAMIDI SUBARI

Call for healthy organic meat, poultry

KUCHING: The Malaysian Society of Animal Production (MSAP) has been challenged to produce organic poultry and meat products to meet the needs of an increasing affluent society.

Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong said consumers are growing more health conscious nowadays, strengthening demand for organic food.

“As people get more and more health conscious, the demand for organic vegetables is increasing. And what about animal products like organic eggs, chicken, pork, beef and all the rest? We often find it doubtful when we go to the market, and a specialist friend of mine even advised me not to buy pork if the meat is red because the pig might have been given some sort of chemical.

“So what is organic? This will be the challenge of the society whether we can see organic animal products produced rather than just organic vegetables,” he said when representing Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem at the first Asean Regional on Animal Product and MSAP’s 35th Annual Conference dinner on Thursday.

Manyin also challenged the society to offer products that are more affordable for end users while not seeing providers registering losses.

He said it is pertinent for the society to look into ways to cut production costs so that consumers would not find it a burden to pay for the products.

He called on delegates from outside the state to explore its attractions such as caves, longhouses and orangutans.

Manyin also admitted there is still great room for improvement in terms of infrastructure and facilities for visitors.

“We do not have highways like our counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia do, and that is our disadvantage. We hope Sarawak will be able to see more highways, from Kuching all the way up to Miri,” he said.

Meanwhile, MSAP president Abu Hassan Muhammad Ali urged individuals and corporations in the industry to join the society to explore opportunities and contribute ideas for legislation.

Established in 1971, he said the society had members from government departments, universities, government-linked corporations as well as the private sector.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/06/07/call-for-healthy-organic-meat-poultry/#ixzz34HbwMAv0

Agriculture Dept fares poorly in livestock, rice programmes –AG Report

Posted on October 2, 2013, Wednesday

KUCHING: The Livestock Development Programme managed by the Department of Agriculture (DOA) has been graded “less than satisfactory” in the Auditor-General’s Report 2012 despite spending RM53.73 million from 2009 to 2012 to aid livestock breeders in the state.

The report said that an audit conducted from July to October 2012 revealed the programme utilised 96.1 per cent of its total allocation but its overall management was poor and identified seven weaknesses in its implementation.

A glaring deficiency was the absence of contract agreement for the procurement of livestock. Other weaknesses were incomplete livestock registration records and poor management of the livestock station which could have led to low birth rate but high mortality rate of the cattle.

In reaction to the audit comment, DOA had conducted a workshop to draft the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all processes pertaining to livestock project management and station. The department also initiated some remedial actions including reviewing the implementation strategy for the programme; ensuring the signing of contract agreement before distributing the livestock; proper management of livestock station as well as proper and updating registration records of livestock.

Apart from its livestock programme, DOA’s Paddy Industry Development Programme (PPIP) which also involved Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture Sarawak as well as Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) was also deemed “less than satisfactory” in its overall management. According to the report, PPIP was introduced as a development strategy to increase productivity and production of rice to achieve the state’s target of 70 per cent rice self-sufficiency level.

The report said that under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), DOA and DID had spent a total of RM235.03 million or 93.1 per cent out of RM252.48 million allocations received from both the state and federal government for PPIP.

However, the audit conducted from June to October 2012 showed that the programme failed to achieve the 70 per cent rice self-sufficiency at the end of 9the Malaysia Plan. The implementation of PPIP was blighted by impractical project design, non-compliance of financial procedures in procurement and payment for weedicides.

DOA also failed to meet the deadline for the construction of Stumbin Paddy Seeds Production and Processing Centre (SPPC) which was part of the programme. Meanwhile, the audit of AG conducted from May to July 2012 also found the overall financial performance of management of Mayang Tea Sdn Bhd (MTSB) “unsatisfactory”.

MTSB which is wholly owned by Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) was initially involved in planting, processing and marketing of tea on an area of 182.02 ha. However, since November 2011, MTSB has replaced its tea with oil palm on its former 100 ha of tea plantation.

MTSB had initiated remedial actions to ensure the success in its oil palm undertaking which included collecting and taking actions on the outstanding debts and optimising available resources to generate economic return to the company

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/10/02/agriculture-dept-fares-poorly-in-livestock-rice-programmes-report/#ixzz2iMPIBOY0