Cattle Integration in Oil Palm Plantation through Systematic Management

Abstract

The oil palm industry in Malaysia has expanded rapidly from 60,000 ha in 1964 to 4.49 million ha in 2008. More than 80% of the matured areas may provide vast opportunity for integration with livestock. This is to maximize the utilization of such production resources as feeds, land and workforce. Cattle integration in oil palm plantation offers one of the best options to increase local beef and dairy supply. Studies and observations on cattle-oil palm integration have shown promising benefits in terms of savings in weeding and labor costs, as well as improved biological and agroecosystem impact. A case study on systematic management for the integration of cattle into oil palm was conducted at Sawit Kinabalu Sdn Bhd plantations. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of systematic management of cattle integration in oil palm plantation on labor requirement and weeding cost. The study comprised of data collection from participating plantations with regards to maintenance, labor cost, chemical/herbicides usage and yield. The results showed that the integration of cattle into oil palm through systematic management is sustainable. The results also indicated that cost savings in maintenance, labor requirement and labor cost can be achieved.