Income of poor farmers and fishermen improving, says MP

By VANES DEVINDRAN
vanes@thestar.com.my

ASSISTANCE rendered to poor farmers and fishermen in the Santubong area in terms of raw materials and equipment are producing positive returns, says Deputy Parliament Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He revealed that recently a particular group of recipients gained a total of RM15,000, triple the amount of what had been invested in the materials and equipment.
“The first time we did this (providing assistance) was four years ago and I did an evaluation on the income of the recipients before and after the assistance. There was an increase,” he told reporters after giving out assistance to fishermen and farmers in the Santubong consitituency in Kuching yesterday.
Junaidi, who is Santubong MP, also said there had been no reports so far on recipients selling the raw materials or equipment given to them.
“They are all making use of the items and so this is working towards a positive direction,” he said.
He said he worked with the Fishermen and Farmers Associations in his constituency to keep tabs on the development after giving out the assistance.
Having said that, Junaidi urge the villagers to work in a more coordinated manner so that it would be easier and much more efficient when it comes to finding customers for their products.
He said proper delegation was the key to making a business thrive in a village that was dabbling with the same product.
“They must work as a team. Not all should plant or fish. You need to have someone doing the fishing and farming, and also someone to coordinate and focus on marketing. If all were to do one job, then who’s going to focus on marketing or packaging?” he said.
He said a village must also diversify their farming according to market demand and avoid focusing on one kind of crop or fruit tree alone.
He advised the people to seek advice from agencies like the Agriculture Department and also the Federal Agriculture and Marketing Authority.
Yesterday’s ceremony had 183 recipients and the total cost of the raw materials and equipment supplied namely fertilisers, oven, engine pump, fishing net and bush cutter, came to around RM100,000.
Junaidi said with the rising cost of materials these days, his side would put in a request for additional funding for next year.

‘Castor plantation has potential’

by Lim How Pin. Posted on October 11, 2010, Monday

KUCHING: A factory to extract castor – an oilbearing crop – may be set up in Kuching division by 2013. Its presence will position Malaysia as a major castor contributor.

BEARING FRUIT: Tan (centre) with Casa Kinabalu chairman Salamat Othman (fourth right) and others pose with castor plants. — Photo by Louis Koh

Assistant minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Tan Joo Phoi said castor plantation had high potential to generate more revenues for the country as the extracted product could be exported to Europe, the US, China, India and Russia.

“The climate here is suitable for planting castor and once it is in mass production, we can export extracted castor oil to foreign markets. “More farmers in the state should be part of the castor plantation programme because castor oil comes with high global demand,” he said at the castor plantation harvesting ceremony undertaken by Casa Kinabalu Sdn Bhd at the Tapah Community Hall, over 20 miles from here yesterday.

Tan, who is Batu Kawah assemblyman, was pleased that the first batch of castor plantation in Tapah was ready for harvesting.

“I remember launching the plantation site two or three months ago and it is now almost harvest time. It shows that castor plants bear fruits within months and the industry is set to bring about stable income for farmers.”

Noting that Casa Kinabalu Sdn Bhd is a West Malaysia-based corporation, he said it should work closely with some local institutes here to come up with training courses to groom the industry.

Castor oil can be used as transport biofuel, a renewable alternative to petrol, a refined fuel made from hydrocarbon oil, according to a pamphlet Casa Kinabalu Sdn Bhd distributed yesterday. The world annual production has reached 1.2 million tonnes with India, China and Brazil as the major producing countries.

Two Sarawak breeders rewarded

Two Sarawak breeders rewarded

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 14:07

KUALA LUMPUR: A ruminant breeder from Mukah and a livestock entrepreneur from Kuching-Serian Road were among award winners at the Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agro-tourism Show (MAHA) 2010 launched by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak at the Malaysian Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) last Saturday.

The two bagged for the first time, the National Awards for Successful Ruminant Ent repreneur and the Successful Non-Ruminant Entrepreneur Categories, respectively. Hajah Fatimah bint i Suhaibo, who is the manager of FG Multifarm received her award as the National winner in the Successful Ruminant Entrepreneur category for her success as the entrepreneur for a goat and cattle farm, FG Multifarm at Km28, Mukah- Balingian coastal highway.

Her farm holds around 1,800 heads of various breeds of goats, sheep and cattle at its peak, and currently supplies domestic demands, and have also made exports of live animals to Brunei.

In addition, FG Multifarm also processes solid and liquid fertilisers from animal wastes from the farm. This helps the farm to practice ‘zero waste’ farming with active local inputs to manage costs. The farm also formulates its own animal feed from local resources and maize. Maize is planted by Mukah Agro Farm of which Hajah Fatimah is the Chairman and CEO. Mukah Agro Farm applies the concept of contract farming in developing ‘idle’ land in Mukah.

It is able to do this by focusing on the hardcore poor who are listed in the e-kasih programme, with the help of TEKUN. In addition, the farm also provides employment to single mothers in the processing of farm products before they are dispatched to the market. Both FG Multifarm and Mukah Agro Farm offer attachment training to local entrepreneurs, university students and the Semenggok Agriculture Institute.

Hajah Fatimah also won in the state-level Small Ruminant Category at the state-level Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen’s Day (HPPN) held at Betong recently.

In the same event, Sarawak’s premier livestock breeder, Dr Ng Siew Thiam from QL Livestock Farming Sdn Bhd, Kuching, won the National level Successful Non-ruminant category. Ng is the Executive Director of QL Livestock Farming, a 90- acre farm at Mile 25, Kuching- Serian Road. The farm has more than 600,000 chickens and produces around 400,000 eggs daily. The farm is fully automated. The farm’s products are supplied to the local market and exported to Indonesia and Hong Kong.

The farm also produces its own animal feed from maize grains imported from India, Argentina and Thailand and employs 180 workers.

Ng expressed interest in buying locally produced maize of which his co-winner Hajah Fatimah Suhaibo is a leading producer in Sarawak. The farm also offers attachment training to livestock breeders, university students and local entrepreneurs.

Ng was also a winner in a similar category at the state-level Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen’s Day held at Betong recently.

Agro sector to lead in wireless sensor network application — Rais

July 30, 2010, Friday

PUTRAJAYA: The agricultural sector is to lead in the application of the wireless sensor network (WSN) which provides invaluable services with its short-range communications capabilities, Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said yesterday.

TAKING THE NEXT STEP: Salang signs a plaque to symbolically launch the National Centre of Excellence for Sensor Technology in Putrajaya. Vice-chancellor of Universiti Putra Malaysia Prof Tan Sri Dr Nik Mustapha R Abdullah is at left.— Bernama photo

The expertise derived in agricultural technology through WSN was expected to propel Malaysia as the leader of WSN technology globally, he said.

“The use of WSN in agriculture will promote the transformation of agriculture from a resource-based industry to one based on intensive knowledge,” he said in his speech opening the national seminar on wireless sensor technology and launching the National Centre of Excellence for Sensor Technology (Nest).

The text of Dr Rais’s speech was read out by Deputy Minister Datuk Joseph Salang.

Dr Rais said Nest was established by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to undertake research and development (R&D) and promote the use of WSN technology in the various sectors in the country.

“NEST is undertaking research to create new research opportunities, encompassing design activities and development of new technology, equipment design and new sensor software, as well as new communication protocol for WSN,” he said.

At a news conference after the event, Salang said the agricultural and engineering sectors were among the sectors with great potential to apply the WSN technology.

He said WSN technology could contribute towards stepping up growth spurred by productivity and innovation.

In the agricultural sector, WSN was used in the fertigation system to monitor soil temperature and condition to produce greater crop yield. — Bernama

while in the engineering sector, it was used in slope monitoring, he said. — Bernama

Agro industries, a ‘money machine’ for rural folks

KUALA LUMPUR: With only RM50, Ahmat Termizi Dollah Kusni of Kampung Bukit Bangkong, Sepang has managed to become a millionaire in the tapioca chips industry.Despite stumbling along the way for three times in his journey as a businessman, the 50-year-old continued his business foray with patience and perseverance and this had paved the way for him to achieve success.

Ahmat Termizi’s association with the tapioca chips business began in 1986. He started with RM50 capital and a borrowed frying pan. “I have no experience in business and had failed three times, to the extent that I had to work as a lorry driver to make ends meet,” he told Bernama when met at his potato chips mill, Jamirah Food Industries (M) Sdn Bhd located at Jalan Mempelam, Kampung Bukit Bangkong, Sepang in Selangor.

His luck turned for the better when Ahmat termizi set up Jamirah Food Industries (M) Sdn in 1996. Ahmat Termizi is the company’s managing director. The company now has three subsidiaries — Jamirah Enterprise, JFI Marketing Sdn Bhd and Gemba Marketing Sdn Bhd.

In 2004, the company received the Good Farming Practices Certificate from the Agriculture Department, and this opened a new page for Ahmat Termizi to expand his tapioca chips business. “After 20 years of hardwork, I finally managed to penetrate the foreign market and now almost 20 per cent of my mill’s production like the tapioca chips go to foreign markets such as in the United Kingdom, Australia, Dubai and Vietnam,” he said.

At present Ahmat Termizi employs 20 fulltime workers. The mill is able to produce 3.0 tonnes of tapioca chips a day. According to Ahmat Termizi, his brand of tapioca chips under the ‘Agro Chips’ label reached RM5 million turnover a year with 80 per cent going to the domestic market and the rest for countries abroad.

Another agriculture entrepreneur, Mahathir Talib, is involved in the commercial breeding of goats in Kampung Ulu Melaka, Alor Gajah in Melaka. For the 35-year-old, agriculture sector can provide handsome earnings if one capitalised on the opportunities provided by the government as there are vast potentials in the livestock breeding sector.

“Seeing this potential, I set up MP Livestock at Kampung Ulu Melaka Pindah for the breeding of goats and cattle”, Mahathir said when met at his livestock breeding farm. The farm measures some 93 metres long and 10 metres wide. Mahathir said he initially had 65 goats, 60 females (does) and five males (bucks) from various breeds like Jamnapari, Boer, Rubian, katjang, Sanean as well as Barbados, Lonte and Malin sheeps.

He also collaborated with several suppliers of goat breeds. Mahathir who also supplies fresh mutton now has some 400 goats and able to supply 800 kg of fresh mutton a week. “Price of mutton now is good and I am able to sell the goats at between RM450 and RM1,800 each depending on the weight and breed,” he said.

For another livestock trader, Othman Abu Hassan, 50, from Kampung Panchor, Durian Tunggal in Melaka, despite the tough challenges in livestock breeding he has never given up as he believed hardwork would finally bring the rewards. Othman started his livestock venture 2004 with RM1,000 capital where he bought four katjang goats and by mid year he bought another 15 for RM3,000.

A year later, he started to rear cattle. He began with four heads of cattle at RM3,200 capital before bringing the count to 51 heads at RM75,000. According to Othman, one of the main challenges in the industry is the livestock disease as it could wipe out a large number of the livestock resulting in huge losses. “To this date, I have 140 heads of cattle and 170 goats,” he said. Othman said he feeds his lifestock with farm feed mixed with oil palm fronds, grass, palm sugar and sago.

In another development, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Deputy Minister Datuk Rohani Karim said in 2008, Malaysia had to import 103,000 tonnes of beef worth RM883.9 million and 18,000 tonnes of mutton valued at RM188 million. She said Sarawak and Sabah have the potential of becoming the centres for commercial livestock breeding as the World Veterinary Health Organisation had declared Borneo free of the food and mouth disease. “So far the nation is only able to produce 25 percent of its demand for meat despite having the potential to produce more,” she said.

Rohani said the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries would discuss with the state government for Batang Lupar to be made a Permanent Food Production Park. She said the agro-based industries have great potential in boosting the income of those in the rural areas. Rohani has hope that the establishment of the Agriculture Development Council for parliamentary constituencies would further boost the sector in this country. — Bernama

Land Information System interests Australia, Morocco

April 7, 2010, Wednesday

MUKAH: Sarawak’s Land and Survey Information System (Lasis) has attracted the interest of authorities in Australia and Morroco.Land and Survey Department’s director Datuk Sudarsono Osman said he would be going to Sydney in Australia soon and Morroco by next year to give briefings on the integrated and comprehensive land administration system developed in the state. “The briefings are at their invitations,” he said at the launch of the system for the Mukah Division by Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud here yesterday.

The system has been continuously enhanced since it was jointly developed 25 years ago at a cost of RM2.56 million. The developers are the Land and Survey Department, Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (Sains), and the Information and Communication Unit of the Chief Minister’s Department.

Leveraging on technology, it has improved the department’s service delivery to a new level and transformed some of its working culture. It now allows one-day registration of land instruments with automated e-mail notification to inform legal firms instantly upon their registration.

The system allows online payment of land rent and premium and also enables landowners to view the rent record prior to the payment. Lasis provides title search facility to the public for them to search land titles at any land and survey divisional offices at a nominal fee.

Online submission and approval of land applications between the department headquarters and the divisional offices can be done without physical documents.

Agro industries, a ‘money machine’ for rural folks

KUALA LUMPUR: With only RM50, Ahmat Termizi Dollah Kusni of Kampung Bukit Bangkong, Sepang has managed to become a millionaire in the tapioca chips industry.Despite stumbling along the way for three times in his journey as a businessman, the 50-year-old continued his business foray with patience and perseverance and this had paved the way for him to achieve success.

Ahmat Termizi’s association with the tapioca chips business began in 1986. He started with RM50 capital and a borrowed frying pan. “I have no experience in business and had failed three times, to the extent that I had to work as a lorry driver to make ends meet,” he told Bernama when met at his potato chips mill, Jamirah Food Industries (M) Sdn Bhd located at Jalan Mempelam, Kampung Bukit Bangkong, Sepang in Selangor. His luck turned for the better when Ahmat termizi set up Jamirah Food Industries (M) Sdn in 1996. Ahmat Termizi is the company’s managing director. The company now has three subsidiaries — Jamirah Enterprise, JFI Marketing Sdn Bhd and Gemba Marketing Sdn Bhd.

In 2004, the company received the Good Farming Practices Certificate from the Agriculture Department, and this opened a new page for Ahmat Termizi to expand his tapioca chips business. “After 20 years of hardwork, I finally managed to penetrate the foreign market and now almost 20 per cent of my mill’s production like the tapioca chips go to foreign markets such as in the United Kingdom, Australia, Dubai and Vietnam,” he said. At present Ahmat Termizi employs 20 fulltime workers.

The mill is able to produce 3.0 tonnes of tapioca chips a day. According to Ahmat Termizi, his brand of tapioca chips under the ‘Agro Chips’ label reached RM5 million turnover a year with 80 per cent going to the domestic market and the rest for countries abroad. Another agriculture entrepreneur, Mahathir Talib, is involved in the commercial breeding of goats in Kampung Ulu Melaka, Alor Gajah in Melaka.

For the 35-year-old, agriculture sector can provide handsome earnings if one capitalised on the opportunities provided by the government as there are vast potentials in the livestock breeding sector. “Seeing this potential, I set up MP Livestock at Kampung Ulu Melaka Pindah for the breeding of goats and cattle”, Mahathir said when met at his livestock breeding farm.

The farm measures some 93 metres long and 10 metres wide. Mahathir said he initially had 65 goats, 60 females (does) and five males (bucks) from various breeds like Jamnapari, Boer, Rubian, katjang, Sanean as well as Barbados, Lonte and Malin sheeps. He also collaborated with several suppliers of goat breeds. Mahathir who also supplies fresh mutton now has some 400 goats and able to supply 800 kg of fresh mutton a week. “Price of mutton now is good and I am able to sell the goats at between RM450 and RM1,800 each depending on the weight and breed,” he said.

For another livestock trader, Othman Abu Hassan, 50, from Kampung Panchor, Durian Tunggal in Melaka, despite the tough challenges in livestock breeding he has never given up as he believed hardwork would finally bring the rewards.

Othman started his livestock venture 2004 with RM1,000 capital where he bought four katjang goats and by mid year he bought another 15 for RM3,000. A year later, he started to rear cattle.
He began with four heads of cattle at RM3,200 capital before bringing the count to 51 heads at RM75,000. According to Othman, one of the main challenges in the industry is the livestock disease as it could wipe out a large number of the livestock resulting in huge losses. “To this date, I have 140 heads of cattle and 170 goats,” he said. Othman said he feeds his lifestock with farm feed mixed with oil palm fronds, grass, palm sugar and sago.

In another development, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Deputy Minister Datuk Rohani Karim said in 2008, Malaysia had to import 103,000 tonnes of beef worth RM883.9 million and 18,000 tonnes of mutton valued at RM188 million. She said Sarawak and Sabah have the potential of becoming the centres for commercial livestock breeding as the World Veterinary Health Organisation had declared Borneo free of the food and mouth disease. “So far the nation is only able to produce 25 percent of its demand for meat despite having the potential to produce more,” she said.

Rohani said the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries would discuss with the state government for Batang Lupar to be made a Permanent Food Production Park. She said the agro-based industries have great potential in boosting the income of those in the rural areas. Rohani has hope that the establishment of the Agriculture Development Council for parliamentary constituencies would further boost the sector in this country. — Bernama

Sarawak natives turn to smart farming

KUCHING: Smart Farming on Native Customary Rights (NCR) land is slowly gaining interest among Sarawakians.About 3,000 people, mostly natives, have attended courses on the farming method organised by DLT Institute over the past two years.

The institute’s founder Dr Elli Luhat said some of them had started practising it on a small scale.
He said the institute, through its DLT Plantation Sdn Bhd subsidiary had taken the lead in smart farming with a pilot project here. Recently, DLT Plantation signed a joint venture agreement with Kuala Lumpur-based Ruebbn Enterprise.

“Smart farming is a subject of today. Since its introduction, we have received enquiries even from businessmen overseas,” he said. He said that Ruebbn Enterprise was the investor while DLT Plantation provided the land and managed the project. Elli said that DLT Institute was willing to work with NCR landowners in joint ventures under a profit-sharing concept. He said that smart farming was a modern farming method that worked on the elements of nature, economics and social balance.

This method came about after he did eight years of research and development on various crops, he added. “I focus on two crops and an aquaculture activity that can generate high returns,” he said. He said that jatropha and gaharu were two crops worth venturing into. Jatropha was the crop of the next century as it was a substitute to fossil fuel while gaharu had been dubbed as green gold, he added.

A 4ha jatropha farm can generate RM3,000 a month after two years while 0.4ha of gaharu can generate income of RM1.8mil after seven years. To maximise land use, he recommended the rearing of the empurau fish (Bornean Masheer), which had been dubbed as a prized table fish due to its excellent taste. A kg of empurau costs between RM400 and RM450.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

Let welcome 2010 with good health, prosperity, wealth, love, happiness, success and everything that you wanted and didn't get in 2009. Live to love each other for friends and relatives.

Surround yourself with generosity, criticises less, contribute more and work the talk.Love those that matters most in your life. Put God ahead of everything you do as only Him can give the rewards that we all desire the most.

Happy New Year 2010. May this new year brings you good health, lots of happiness and success in all your undertaking.

"We are all given a choice each day. We can react negatively to the demands made us or we can choose to live abundantly, to transform the negative into the meaningful. Attitude is all. If I do endow my life and my work with meaning, no one will ever be able to do it for me."
Sarah Ban Breathnach

Best Wishes

From Adrian