(MY) meaty returns

[Guest guest]

2007/08/24-New Straits Times

 

Meaty returns for breeders

By : Azira Shaharuddin

 

 

 

The Boer goats adapting well to their new home at the Highland Organic

Boer Farm in Tapah.

 

 

TAPAH: Things are looking promising for Majestic Nature Boer Farm.

 

Set up last year to meet the high demand for goat meat, the company

also has a farm in Chenderiang managed by its subsidiary Highland

Organic Boer Farm.

 

It began with 1,000 females, also known as does, and 30 males, and has

now grown to 2,200 breeding heads.

 

The company intends to set up another four Boer goat farms — one each

year beginning next year.

 

The Third National Agriculture Policy and the National Goat Policy aim

to achieve a goat population of 4.96 million heads with 1.99 million

heads of breeding does by 2015.

 

Majestic Nature Boer Farm aims to be the largest Boer goat breeder and

meat provider for the country.

 

Its second farm is scheduled to open next year in Chenderiang.

 

Boer goats, which originated from Africa, can live in high

temperatures, are resistant to disease, grow faster, breed all year

round and have high fertility rates.

 

Boer goats have thicker bones and more meat than other goats.

 

Managing director Yeow Joo Kwang. said goat meat was healthier than

other meats.

 

The company imported the Boer goats from Australia. It also imported

goat semen for artificial insemination.

 

" It is cheaper to import semen than buy a male goat. Through this, the

quality is guaranteed as there would be no in-breeding. "

 

After eight months, the male goats would be sold to other farms or slaughtered.

 

At the moment, only bucks are slaughtered for meat as the company

wants to keep the does for breeding.

 

They are bred without the use of hormones and only eat Napier grass

grown across the farm. The water for the goats is taken from the

nearby Lata Kinjang waterfall.

 

Yeow said the company would open a research centre by September next year.

 

He said each farm required an investment of about RM5 million, with

the entire operation for five farms, feed mills, sales outlets and a

slaughter and packaging plant expected to cost RM35 million.

 

But the gains are expected to far outweigh the investment in as little

as three years' time.

 

" It's a very lucrative business, " said a smiling Yeow.