Trip to the Cattle Farm in UPM

Our trip to UPM Cattle farm

There are 2 types of cattle in UPM which are beef cattle and dairy cattle. 

• Dairy cattle
• Beef cattle

Dairy Cattle

Dairy cattle is cattle cow that are bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk.

- Milking process is done twice a day, 8.30 am and 3.30 pm, for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. The output from each cattle is about 8 to 9 liter. This process has to be carried out every single day to avoid the milks being accumulated that will cause the cow to have milk fever. 

Beef Cattle

Beef cattle is cattle cow that raised for meat production.

- These cattles are fit to be sold when they have reached a minimum weight of 250 kilograms. Female cattles will be kept for breeding process for maximum 5 years and will be sold after that. This is to ensure that the beef produced by these female cattles will still be in good quality.

Comparison

	Dairy Cattle	Beef Cattle
System	Both of these cattles use extensive system. Extensive livestock production system is systems in which animals are kept free-range for part or all their production cycle.
Breeding Process	Artificial breeding. This indicates that semen is taken from the bull to be injected to the heifer when on heat.	Natural breeding. For this process, bull has to be chosen specifically. The bull has to have a strong back leg, aggressiveness to mate and active semen/sperm.
Calf	The calf of dairy cattle is separated once it is born. Milk will be fed by the farm keepers as to ensure that the calf will not over drink the milk from its mother.	The calf of beef cattle will stay with its mother for 6 months to ensure that the calf gets enough milk and nutrition to grow.
Breeds	Fusion Jersey	Brangus (mixed breed of Brahman and Angus)

 A short video of the summary of our trip

Appreciation post
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our lecturer, Dr. Natrah Ikhsan for giving us the opportunity to visit the cattle. This is a wonderful experience for all of us as we have gained so much knowledge from this trip. Thank you Dr. once again. 

Presentation on Organic Farming

This is our video presentation on Organic Farmimg.
Hope you can get more information on organic farming from our video.
Enjoy~

Thank you for watching!

Agriculture and the Malaysian Economy (Chapter 8)

Crop Diversification

Driving forces for crop diversification
- Increasing income on small farm holdings
- Withstanding price fluctuation
- Mitigating effects of increasing climate variability
- Balancing food demand
- Improving fodder for livestock animals
- Conservation of natural resources
- Minimising environmental pollution
- Reducing dependence on off-farm inputs
- Depending on crop rotation, decreasing insect pests, diseases and weed problems
- Increasing community food security


Challenges
- Reduce labour requirements in agriculture
- Maximize land utilization
- Strengthen the competitiveness of Malaysian agriculture
- Enhance private sector investment in food production
- Smallholders need to be transformed into a more commercial sector
- Innovative and efficient agricultural practices

National Agrofood Policy 2011-20120

Objective

- To address food security and safety to ensure availability, affordability dan accessability

- To ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of the agrofood industry

- To increase the income level of agropreneurs

National Commodity Policy (2011-2020) 

Objective

- To increase the contribution of plantation industrial commodities to the nation's economy

- To modernise and transform the commodity industry towards a more competitive and sustainable level

- To encourage the development of the commodity industry along the value chain

- To increase the income of operators and smallholders in the commodity industry

- To promote Malaysia as the centre of excellence in R&D, technology development and the downstream processing of industrial commodities

Programmes implemented to ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of food

- Increasing food production through optimisation and sustainable land use including integrated farming, intensive farming and mini estate paddy farming in granary areas

- Maintaining rice stockpile at 292,000 metric tonnes to sustain consumption for 45 days

- Upgrading agriculture infrastructure to increase food productivity especially in the concentrated area for food production such as the Permanent Food Production Park (TKPM), Aquaculture Industrial Zone (ZIA) and Targeted Area Concentration for Livestock (TAC)

- Securing long-term contract agreements to import rice with matching agreements to export palm oil or oil

- Increasing the quality and safety of food by expanding the compliance to good agriculture practice (GAP), good manufacturing practice (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS), halal accreditation to more farms as well as increasing the quality of food packaging, labelling and branding

Innovation & Challenges in Malaysia Agriculture (chap 7)

For this topic, we would like to discuss about HYBRIDIZATION.

What is it?
>process of combining two complementary single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules and allowing them to form a single double-stranded molecule through base pairing. 

What is a hybrid animal?

> an offspring of two animals or plants of different races, breeds, varieties, species, or genera. 
> could be classified a :-

1. genetic hybrid 
2. structural hybrid 
3. numerical hybrid 
4. permanent hybrid
    
   Genetic hybridization process

Hybrids in nature 
>Hybridization is a naturally occurring genetic process where individuals from two genetically distinct populations mate
>It can occur both intraspecifically, between different distinct populations within the same species, and interspecifically, between two different species.
> Hybrids can be either sterile/not viable or viable/fertile.

Why hybrids are sterile?

> because differences in chromosome structure prevent appropriate pairing and segregation during meiosis, meiosis is disrupted, and viable sperm and eggs are not formed.
> Mules, hinnies, and other normally sterile interspecific hybrids cannot produce viable gametes,

Advantages

>better adaptations to there enviroment than the parent species

Example of success hybrids

 Cheetoh. Cheetoh cat has no relation to either Cheetahs or cheese-flavored corn puffs. Instead, this relatively new feline is descended from selected Bengal Cat and Ocicat bloodlines, resulting in an exotically spotted cat with the Ocicat’s long legs and low-shouldered walking style. It is an extremely social, docile and gentle-natured lap cat that is safe for all to keep as pet.

                                                                                      Spider Goat.                                                                                                       the goats have spider genes that allow the females to excrete spider silk proteins in their milkThe resulting spider silk fiber is said to be “more durable than Kevlar, more stretchable than nylon, and stronger than steel.”

Beefalo,a hybrid of beef cattle and the American Bison, It provides meat that has more protein and less fat than that of the typical steer. Even better,  beefalo beef is very low in cholesteral.

  More Amazing Hybrids:

 

Sustainable Agriculture (chap 6)

Chapter 6: Sustainable Agriculture

Definition of sustainable agriculture

In simplest terms, sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fibre, or other plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare.

The primary benefits of sustainable agriculture are:

Environmental Preservation

Sustainable farms produce crops and raise animals without relying on toxic chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified seeds, practices that degrade soil, water, or other natural resources. By growing a variety of plants and using techniques such as crop rotation, conservation tillage, and pasture-based livestock husbandry, sustainable farms protect biodiversity and foster the development and maintenance of healthy ecosystems.

Protection of Public Health

Food production should never come at the expense of human health.  Since sustainable crop farms avoid hazardous pesticides, they're able to grow fruits and vegetables that are safer for consumers, workers, and surrounding communities.  Likewise, sustainable livestock farmers and ranchers raise animals without dangerous practices like use of non therapeutic antibiotics arsenic-based growth promoters.  Through careful, responsible management of livestock waste, sustainable farmers also protect humans from exposure to pathogens, toxins, and other hazardous pollutants.

Sustaining Vibrant Communities

A critical component of sustainable agriculture is its ability to remain economically viable, providing farmers, farm workers, food processors, and others employed in the food system with a livable wage and safe, fair working conditions.  Sustainable farms also bolster local and regional economies, creating good jobs and building strong communities.

Upholding Animal Welfare

Sustainable farmers and ranchers treat animals with care and respect, implementing livestock husbandry practices that protect animals' health and well being.  By raising livestock on pasture, these farmers enable their animals to move freely, engage in instinctive behaviors, consume a natural diet, and avoid the stress and illness associated with confinement.

Goals

• Economic development 
• Environmental conservation
• Socio-political benefits

Approaches to Agricultural Development in Malaysia (Chapter 9)

   Policies

-National Agricultural Policy 1

- National Agricultural Policy 2

- National Agricultural Policy 3

-National Agrofood Policy

Good Agriculture Practices
Introduction ·         MyGAP (Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices) was launched by the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry on 28 August 2013. ·         MyGAP is a rebranding exercise of Malaysian Farm Certification Scheme for Good Agricultural Practices (SALM), Livestock Farm Practices Scheme (SALT), and Malaysian Aquaculture Farm Certification Scheme (SPLAM). ·         MyGAP is a comprehensive certification scheme for agricultural, aquaculture and livestock sector. ·         MyGAP is implemented based on Malaysian Standard (MS). MS 1784:2005 Crop Commodities – Good Agricultural Practice is used for agricultural sector module and MS 1998:2007 Good Aquaculture Practice (GaqP) – Aquaculture Farm – General Guidelines and MS 2467:2012 – Code of Practice for Seaweed Cultivation used for aquaculture sector module. Whereas MS 2027:2006 Good Animal Husbandry Practice is for livestock sector. ·         Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) is an agricultural practice which emphasises on environment, economy and social aspects to ensure the produce is safe and of good quality. ·         MyGAP is an Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) initiative under the Strategic Reform Initiatives – Competition, Standard and Liberalisation (SRI-CSL) which is an enabler to the National Key Economic Area – Agriculture (NKEA - Agriculture). Benefits of MyGAP Certification ·         Produces quality and safe to eat agricultural products. ·         Reduces environment pollution and assist in developing an environmentally friendly and sustainable national agricultural industry.   ·         Since GAP is recognised worldwide, it facilitates the export of the products. ·         One certification scheme facilitates the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices certification. ·         Guarantees the safety and welfare of the staff. ·         Encourages and facilitates the acceptance of consumers towards agricultural, livestock and aquaculture products with only one certification. ·         Unlike SALM, SPLAM and SALT, GAP is more commercialised and will not confuse the consumers and entrepreneurs. ·         Facilitates and reduces the promotional costs as consumers are already very familiar with GAP products. Direction ·         Increase the number of farms with MyGAP certification to encourage quality and safe to eat produce for domestic and export market. ·         Increase consumers' awareness and demand for quality and safe to eat produce with MyGAP logo on it. ·         Increase the Malaysian agricultural produce competitiveness at international level.   ·         Benchmarked with international GAP certification scheme such as ASEAN GAP and Global GAP.