Organic poultry makes its case
The company aims to model out successful small-scale farming
GROWING your own food has always fascinated Abdul Munaf since his exposure to basic farming back in his school days at Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar in Johor.
But his involvement in organic poultry producer Rezeki Tobiyyah stems from his desire to source for healthy and ethical food that is produced in a natural environment.
His search led him to Mohd Farid Baharom in 2015 who was breeding pure organic poultry, or ayam kampung asli. Intrigued, Munaf joined the business in 2018 and invested his own money to help expand the chicken farm.
While the youthful 30-year-old Farid is the one with the technical knowhow and expertise in organic poultry breeding, Munaf, who comes from a family business, brings with him an entrepreneurial zeal that would help make the 3acre land in Tanjung Bidara, Melaka a sustainable venture.
He opines that Rezeki Tobiyyah has grown into a model farm for small-scale farming.
Munaf notes that one key feature of organic food is in the production method, which makes do without synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers. It also encompasses natural feed and remedies for treating illnesses and barn positioning, which provides extra space for free ranging.
“Chicken has long been one of the most affordable and widely eaten sources of protein in the country, but like everything else, health-conscious consumers today want their chicken meat to be safe and free of antibiotics, growth hormones and other substances which are commonly used in conventional poultry farming,” says Munaf.
Most of its chickens are currently sold in Melaka.
Breeding organic poultry is very different from the commercial broiler chickens which dominate the market.
Munaf says a typical broiler chicken takes about 35 days or slightly more than a month to be ready for the market, whereas, a typical commercial free range chicken takes about 70 days. Meanwhile, Rezeki Tobiyyah’s flock takes up to four months.
Additionally, its egg production also takes longer. While broiler chickens on average lay three eggs every two days, pure organic chickens produce around two eggs every three days.
Currently, Rezeki Tobiyyah runs three incubators with a high success rate of 85% to 90% in incubating new chicks as Munaf notes that freerange hens are healthier than those kept in cages, albeit smaller in size.
Thus, despite weighing less, at about 1.4kg to below 2kg, they are priced at a premium of 18% to 25% compared to commercial organic chickens. The wholesale price ranges from RM18 to RM24 per kg.
However, not many investors and businesses are keen to invest the money and time in pure organic chicken farming as the long gestation period makes it an unattractive commercial venture.
Nonetheless, there is demand for such products. The company has already received enquiries for exports from Singapore and many other Middle Eastern and European countries.
But its limited operations and capacity restricts the company from servicing these demands.
Munaf says the company is now planning its next phase of expansion.
They bought 50 acres of land in Perak to support its future growth. Work on the land was supposed to have started in April but the recent movement restrictions have pushed back such plans to September. He expects the new farm to be ready for operations by late 2021.
The company is also looking at the possibility of setting up a processing centre, where the chickens can be processed and sold directly to retailers. At the moment, Rezeki Tobiyyah only sells to wholesalers.
Plans are also afoot to use a part of the new plot, which is located close to Cameron Highlands, for other organic produce such as chillies and kunyit hitam – a new variety of turmeric plant that has been identified as a potential remedy for illnesses.
But organic chicken will remain its mainstay.
Munaf says the company plans to eventually produce up to 200,000 chickens per month.
One of the ways to expand the production and increase accessibility of organic poultry products is to build up a network of small-scale independent poultry farmers by providing Rezeki Tobiyyah’s expertise and proprietary poultry farm techniques.
“It will be good to have more partners that will be able to expand the production and make organic chicken more accessible to the public. I’m willing to help those interested in taking up small-scale commercial poultry business, particularly in organic chicken.
“We have patented the genetics of the chicken, and will share the expertise for free. These independent small-scale poultry farms can act as contract farmers or choose to sell the products themselves,” he says.
On the prospect of poultry demand, the potential for upside remains bright given that Malaysia has one of the highest rates of poultry consumption in the world, he adds, with a yearly consumption of 46.6kg per person.
Munaf also highlights that the organic food trend is seeing exponential growth especially among the younger generation, although the price point remains at a premium and is an obstacle for a wider group of consumers to enjoy it.
Business prospects aside, one of the biggest satisfactions for Munaf in being in this line is seeing a marked improvement in his family’s health, especially of his children since he replaced commercially farmed broiler chicken with the organic version.
“Promoting organic and sustainable eating is about choosing food that is healthy for our bodies and our environment, to enhance quality of life and society as a whole.
“As a parent, one of the most important reasons for practicing a sustainable and organic diet is that it encourages us to produce healthy food without compromising our future generation,” he says.
What Munaf and his partner are doing can go a long way in the quest to realise Malaysia’s potential in organic food production. But more importantly for Munaf, this will help to promote a healthy diet especially among children.