Kota Kinabalu: Sabah plans to replace its cattle offspring return system with a bond of at least 10 per cent of an animal’s market value.
“This year we are changing from the old system, where recipients gave back offspring, to a deposit system,” said State Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.
“Anyone who receives cattle from us must place a bond of at least 10 per cent of the animal’s market value.
“After three years, once the herd has multiplied, we return the bond,” he told a media conference after officiating the Sabah Veterinary Services Department 50th anniversary celebration at Wisma Pertanian, here, Tuesday.
He said the bond would be forfeited if the animals die due to poor care or if the recipient sells them within the three years.
“What matters is that they look after the animals properly and follow the other procedures,” he said, adding the change aimed to protect the quality of imported stock.
“We hope this will ensure the cattle brought in from abroad keep producing the best offspring,” he said.
Asked what happens if the cow dies of natural causes, Jamawi said the Department would not be unfair to farmers.
“Once it is confirmed to be of natural causes, if the farmer is still interested, we will give them another animal the following year,” he said.
He added that the programme runs every year and hopes the Federal Government’s allocation would continue.
Jamawi said the Ministry would also reactivate grazing pastures across Sabah’s districts.
“If we can upgrade these pastures with new fencing and better quality grass, we can solve the problem of roaming animals,” he said.
He said the upgrade would also let the Ministry supply farmers with better breeds.
He said Sabah has about 139 pastures covering roughly 30,000 acres.
“Some have been left idle and some have broken fences which lets animals roam onto the roads,” he said.
He said many farmers’ animals had reached the 10th or 11th generation and were no longer productive.
On imports, Jamawi said he visited Australia with the officers concerned and selected about 2,800 beef cattle, dairy cattle and goats.
“I personally helped select them with our officers so that when they arrive, farmers will be satisfied with the quality they expected,” he said.
He said his own review showed the State’s cattle population has kept declining over the past 10 years, even though quality cattle are imported every year.
“There may be certain practices or procedural gaps behind this,” he said.
Under the Bakti 50 scheme, he said applicants apply through the district office and the district Veterinary Services Department.
“Officers then select B40 households to supplement their income, and each recipient gets one dam cow,” he said.
He said the Department also has a scheme for entrepreneurs in dairy and beef farming, based on shed and land size.
He said farmers must also have knowledge.
“If we give cattle or goats to people without knowledge, eventually we end up eating the goats ourselves,” he said.
He said dairy farmers using feedlots must already have Napier grass planted to feed their cattle.
He also announced a local buffalo breed called Tompok, developed by the Veterinary Services Department at its Telupid facility.
“They (Tompok breed) are gentle, with white eyes, an attractive body and a large head,” he said.
“Unlike ordinary buffalo, which tend to gore, these are not aggressive,” he said.
Jamawi said the breed could attract young people to rear buffalo, first as a hobby and later as a source of better income.
He said the commercial potential is big.
