Buffalo industry in Sarawak — more than just a revival
Generally, buffaloes from Australia were wild and unmanageable – they did not perform well under the local condition. Dr Adrian Susin Ambud, Sarawak Veterinary Services Department director
IT is definitely a tight deadline for the Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development ( MANRED) to transform Sarawak’s agriculture into a modern, vibrant and technology- driven commercial sector by 2030.
The target is primarily meant to reduce Sarawak’s dependence on food import, for which in 2017, the bill stood at RM3 billion.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is in charge of Manred, projects that Sarawak would become a net exporter of food within the next 12 years.
Additionally, he also charts a target of 50 per cent ‘ Self Sufficiency Level’ ( SSL) in beef supply for Sarawak by 2030.
It is under this mission that it has established its focus on buffalo-rearing.
A part of history
According to Sarawak Veterinary Services Department ( DVS) director Dr Adrian Susin Ambud, breeder buffaloes were imported from Australia’s Northern Territory as well as from Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia in the early years, to increase the animal’s population in Sarawak.
“Generally, buffaloes from Australia were wild and unmanageable – they did not perform well under the local condition.
“Therefore, buffaloes from Sabah were preferred.
“The last shipment of buffaloes was from Bukit Ridan, Pahang in 1996,” he told The Borneo Post recently.
The Lun Bawangs, the Malays/ Kedayans and the Bisayas in Limbang and Lawas are long known as the traditional buffalo farmers in Sarawak, but for these communities, this bovine species does not only serve as a beast of burden in farming and transportation.
Buffaloes are also used as dowries and in the famous buffalo race in Limbang and Lawas.
They are also the symbol of wealth and social status within these communities.
According to Adrian, the swamp buffalo ( Bubalis carabenesis)-farming for meat productions plays a crucial role in the economy of the rural farmers – particularly those in the highlands of Ba Kelalan, Long Semado and Long Sukang, the valleys of Trusan and Sundar in Lawas, and the Limbang River basin.
“For the rural farmers, buffaloes are not just reared for meat, but also as draught animals to work on the paddy fields.
“After harvesting, buffaloes would graze on the paddy straws left standing.
“Thus, buffalo farming is closely associated with paddy farming activities.”
He said in the instance of a farmer having a large herd of buffaloes, those not used as beasts of burden would be left freely to graze on areas where local, unimproved grasses grow in abundance.
These grazing areas are known as ‘ halaman’ in Limbang.
Limbang: Sector’s hub About 95 per cent of Sarawak’s reared buffalo population is in Limbang, said Adrian.
However in term of population size of the animal and number of buffalo farmers, he observed a steep decline in the industry – in Limbang, the number of farmers went from a sizeable figure from 1,321 in 2000, to only 484 in 2018.
Adrian listed five major factors contributing to this downward trend – the buffalo farmers are ageing; there is a lack of interest in the field among the new generation; there is competition for land usage; the long gestation period of such buffalo project; and competition against cheaper frozen beef and other products derived from it.
“With such a declining trend, a logical strategy would be to focus on existing farmers – building them up through training and intensification of their production through a better system.”
Adrian noted that existing buffalo farming was still done in the traditional manner – paying very little attention to nutrition, husbandry, reproduction management and also disease- control.
“Buffaloes are generally in a feral or semi- feral state,” he observed.
Buffalo Entrepreneurs Programme
A total of RM17.7 million has been allocated for buffalo development projects in Limbang under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).
One of these projects is the ‘ Buffalo Entrepreneurs Programme’ ( BEP) – a federal-reimbursable initiative introduced to revive the buffalo industry and to stop the decline in buffalo population.
A project cost value of RM10 million has been approved for the BEP.
Adrian said to date, 32 buffalo entrepreneurs had been developed under BEP.
“Another 30 entrepreneurs have been selected to participate in BEP in 2019 and 2020.
“It is expected that the farmers would have an additional income of RM5,000 per month, once the programme runs in full capacity.”
The BEP would use a semi-intensive system, or the ‘Natad Kerbau’ concept, aimed at enhancing the traditional method of breeding buffaloes.
Adrian said under ‘ Natad Kerbau’, buffaloes would graze within a fenced- up paddock, and the bulk of the feed would be ‘ Napier’ grass (fodder crop) under a ‘cut-and- carry’ feeding system.
“The buffaloes, therefore, would return to the yard for feeding twice a day.
“The amount of fodder required would be about one hectare for about 10 buffaloes, based on the fodder production of 30 tonnes in ‘ dry matter’ ( DM) per hectare per year.
“Therefore, each farmer is required to have a minimum of five hectares of land for fodder, which would be supplemented with high protein forages such as ‘Gliricidia’ and ‘ Mulberry’,” he said.
The semi-intensive system, said Adrian, would a more precise husbandry system – focusing on meeting the buffaloes’ nutritional needs and improving animal husbandry.
“The buffaloes, under such system, would be tamer and more manageable, with improved reproductive performance.”
Pawah System Adrian also said selected farmers would be given new breeding stock in advance under the ‘ Pawah System’, which is another subset of the BEP.
The Agriculture Department, he added, would import 250 head of new breeding cattle stock per year and distribute them to these selected farmers.
“The farmers are then given six years to pay us back – in terms of equal number of calves.
“Under this programme, the farmers with at least 20 head of breeding buffaloes could apply to get additional breeders from the department to top up their herd – to a maximum of 25 female breeders,” he said.
Potential and marketability Sarawak exhibits great potential when it comes to expanding its ruminant industry, particularly in Limbang, with it having been declared free from the Foot-and-Mouth Disease ( FMD) – a severe, highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hooved animals, specifically cattle and swine.
“Exporting opportunities will be increased as developed countries such as those in the European Union, the Americas, Australia and Japan, may only import beef from countries or regions that are free from FMD.
“Brunei is also a ready market. From 2010 to 2017, about 90 per cent from the total 9,815 head of buffaloes slated for exports, were sold to Brunei.
“With an average wholesale price of RM4,000 per head, this amounted to RM36.74 million in values of sales recorded,” said Adrian.