Australia cattle sent to graze under Malaysia palms
Date: 29-Oct-02
Country: AUSTRALIA
The company, privately-owned AustAsia, said yesterday it had doubled the number of cattle it was managing on palm oil plantations in the Kuala Lumpur region in Malaysia.
After trial shipments last year, the company is now grazing 800 head of cattle at any time on two plantations, for a total of 2,400 head a year.
While these numbers are only a fraction of Australia's fast-growing live cattle trade - which exported a total of about 800,000 head worth A$562 million ($315 million) in 2001/02 - AustAsia plans to make greater use of the Malaysian feed option.
AustAsia Managing Director John Griffith said he expects to double the number of cattle being fed on grass and legumes beneath Malaysian palms to 5,000 head in the next few years.
"If the region was to fulfill its real potential, we might not be able to supply the total market from Australian resources," Griffith said.
"This is pretty high rainfall country. In between the palms there's an abundance of feed (which can grow to) two and three feet high.
"Historically they (plantation managers) mow it or chemically spray it...which is quite expensive. The cattle graze it, save those costs, plus return the manure...and do no damage to the palms," he told Reuters.
This is an extension of the established agistment system in Australia, where graziers who have exhausted natural pasture feed on their own land graze cattle on other farms for a fee.
In the Malaysian case, the cattle are grazed for 100 days on natural pastures, before slaughter and sale into wet markets.
Two Malaysian plantations, Beradin Estate and Sungai Kruit, are involved in the AustAsia feed project.
The cattle are shipped from Northern Australia, where they roam vast remote areas, to short-period controlled grazing on restricted areas in the Malaysia plantations, often contained by electric fences.
"We are using a combination of Australian management and nutrition advice, and educating and training local plantation staff as stockmen," Griffith said.
Indonesia is Australia's main live cattle export market, taking 240,000 head in the first eight months of calendar 2002, while Malaysia, a strong second-level market, took 54,000 head in the same period. The Philippines and Egypt also take Australian live cattle.
The live cattle trade avoids high Australian slaughter and processing costs. ($1=A$1.79).
