Boer Goat, or more popularly termed as Kambing Boer in Malaysia is tipped to become a backbone in the goat farming activity and plays an important role in driving the agriculture sector, which seems to be ailing lately.
It is expected to undergo a growth of more than 6% per year between 2006 to 2010 and with the support from the Ministry of Agriculture, the government and the associated financial and development bodies, the future seems bright for Boer farming. The National Goat Production Goat (yes, there is such policy) targets to have 1.99 million number of goats in 2015 in Malaysia.
While many people avoid farming and the agriculture industry due to its ‘unglamorous’ status, some others make it big, become millionaires and create success stories to follow. Just look at this recipient of Anugerah Peladang Jaya Kebangsaan 2006, as published in Utusan Malaysia.
Penerima Anugerah Peladang Jaya Lelaki Kebangsaan, Jasmin Jasin, 48, berkata, pendapatan dalam bidang pertanian tidak mempunyai had seperti kerjaya makan gaji. Katanya, semakin rajin seseorang petani itu maka semakin banyak hasil pendapatan yang diperolehnya.
‘‘Terpulang kepada diri sendiri berapa banyak yang diinginkan, pokok pangkalnya usaha dan kerajinan,’’ katanya ketika ditemui selepas majlis penyampaian anugerah tersebut.
Jasmin mengusahakan pelbagai projek pertanian termasuk ternakan kambing dan lembu serta penanaman mangga, getah dan projek baja kompos. Secara keseluruhan, kesemua projek yang beliau jalankan menjana perniagaan bernilai RM2.1 juta setahun.
Utusan Malaysia, 22 Nov 2006.
Historically, the first Boer goat was developed more than 100 years ago, originating from the African region and is said to be a mixed of European, Angora and Indian. It did not take long before it started making headlines due to the quality of the meat offered by Boer goats. Boer breeding is normally aimed at the production of meat, rather than its milk, and its meat is arguably the most well known of all the goat meats in the world today. Boer goats were first brought into the country in 2001 to provide alternative agricultural activity for local farmers and entrepreneurs.
Some of the benefits of the Boer goats:
•Very fertile and relatively easy to breed and grow, partly due to their enormous sexual appetite (!)
•Richer in meat as the bones are thinner compared to other types of goats
•Low calorie and cholesterol, but rich in protein
•Relatively high immunity towards diseases
One of the active bodies which is supporting the Goer farming project is the RISDA (Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority) which started a pilot project in Penang, rearing more than 300 Australian Boer goats in 2004. This was followed by a commercial farming based in Changloon, Kedah.
Today, Boer rearing can also be seen in various parts of Malaysia including Kelantan, Pahang and Johor where smaller farmers and interested entrepreneurs who wish to start their own Boer farming can get supplies from.
The agriculture industry, at the moment, is also in the process of setting up the national Boer Breeding Center in Bahau and Beef Valley in Gemas which is expected to be operating within the next 2 years.
Image: Wikipedia
Sumber: SKORCAREER - BOER Farming in Malaysia http://skorcareer.com.my/blog/ternakan-kambing-boer-goat-farming/2008/04/03/