Green Practices Guideline for Livestock Sector

PART 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 ABOUT THE SECTOR The livestock industry in Malaysia is a vital component of the country’s agricultural development, providing sustainable employment and meeting the increasing demand for meat, milk, and dairy products. However, the industry faces several challenges that need to be addressed to ensure its long-term sustainability and align with the goals set forth in the Green Technology Master Plan. One of the key challenges in the livestock sector is the need for quality breeds to enhance productivity. Local breeds such as Kedah-Kelantan (KK) cattle and Katjang goats have relatively smaller sizes and lower meat production compared to larger breeds like Brahman cattle and Boer crosses. Addressing this challenge would involve efforts to improve breed quality and enhance the performance of local breeds through selective breeding and genetic improvement programmes. Another significant challenge is the high cost of animal feed, which accounts for a substantial portion of production expenses. The cost of animal feeds ranges from 5.4% to 71.2% of total production costs, with raw materials like corn, often imported from other countries, being a major contributor. Finding cost-effective alternatives for animal feed and promoting sustainable feed-sourcing practices will be essential in mitigating this challenge and reducing the industry’s reliance on imported raw materials. The availability of arable land for grazing reserves is also a concern in Malaysia. With competition for land use from other industries, the livestock sector faces limitations in securing adequate land for grazing livestock. Farmers often prefer to utilise their land for more profitable agricultural activities like palm oil, fruit, and vegetable cultivation. Addressing this challenge requires a comprehensive approach that considers land-use planning, optimising land utilisation, and exploring innovative livestock production systems that utilise limited land resources more efficiently. Despite these challenges, the livestock industry in Malaysia has shown significant contributions to the country’s agricultural gross domestic product (GDP). For instance, the poultry sub-sector has a substantial contribution rate of 98.9% to the livestock GDP, followed by the dairy sub-sector at 64.19%. The production of poultry meat, chicken/duck eggs, and fresh milk has remained resilient, even in the face of challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected demand from restaurants and hotels. To overcome these challenges and promote sustainable livestock practices, collaboration among governments, the private sector, research organisations, and other stakeholders is crucial. By implementing strategic policies, knowledge sharing, and research and development initiatives, Malaysia can enhance breed quality, optimise feed utilisation, and explore innovative land use practices. These efforts will contribute to the industry’s resilience, food security, economic development, and environmental protection, aligning with the objectives of the Green Technology Master Plan. 9 GREEN PRACTICES GUIDELINE FOR LIVESTOCK SECTOR