Performance of yellow cattle integrated in oil palm plantation.
2004
Rosli, A. | A. Zulkifli
One of the issues often raised by the oil palm planters who are interested in integrating cattle is the availability of suitable breeding cows. In 2003, Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) collaborated with Far East Holdings Bhd. (FEHB) to integrate 828 Yellow Cattle cows and 50 Brahman-KK bulls in 4,000 hectares mature oil palm estates. The cattle were observed to graze on 24 species of undergrowths and 12 species were observed to be non-palatable. The cattle performed well with calving rate of 77.70% year superscript -1 in the first year and expected to increase to 100% in the second year. The cow and calve mortality rates were 2.36% and 1.84% year superscript -1 respectively. The average daily weight gain (ADG) for pure bred yellow cattle calves from birth to 12 months old ranged from 297 to 333 kg day superscript -1. For the Yellow cattle XS Brahman-KK the ADG from birth to 6 months old ranged from 328 to 337 kg day superscript -1. During the period of 18 months only one cow was detected positive to Brucella abortus and another one for Salmonella Dublin. Only 8.37% of cows succumbed to clinical cases commonly encountered among cows integrated in oil palm plantation. The internal rate of return, net present value and benefit cost ratio computed from projected cash flow for 15 years was 20%, RM1.26 million at discount rate of 12% and 1.56 at the same discount rate respectively. The average net margin computed was RM579.00 cow superscript -1 year superscript -1 and RM146.00 ha superscript -1 year ha superscript -1.
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