INTEGRATED OIL PALM-BASED INTEGRATED OIL PALM-BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS IN

SOUTH EAST ASIA : PRODUCTION SOUTH EAST ASIA : PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABILITYSUSTAINABILITY

C. DEVENDRA

( Consulting Tropical Animal Production Specialist ,

130A Jalan Awan Jawa, 58200 Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia ) 

 

Characterised by diversity of mixed crop-animal farming systems

Provide 90% of the milk, 77% of the ruminant meat, 47% of pork and poultry meat, and 31% of the eggs

Past growth trends indicate (Steinfeld, 1999) :Mixed farming systems (2.2% / yr) Industrial systems (4.3% / yr), and Pastoral systems (0.7% / yr).

ASIAN INTEGRATED SYSTEMSASIAN INTEGRATED SYSTEMS

Systems combining animals and annual cropping are of two sub-types:-

Systems involving non-ruminants, ponds and fish eg. Vegetables- pigs –ducks- fish systems ( Vietnam ) , Rice – maize- vegetables- sweet potatoes – pigs – dairy cattle ( China )

Systems involving ruminants eg. Maize- groundnuts/ soya bean – goats systems (Indonesia), Rice- finger millet- rice – goats (Nepal).

Systems combining animals and perennial cropping are of two sub-types:-

Systems involving ruminants eg. Coconuts – sheep integration (Philippines );

oil palm – cattle integration (Malaysia) Systems involving non-ruminants eg. Oil palm – chickens integration (Malaysia ).

CATEGORIES OF CATEGORIES OF INTEGRATED SYSTEMSINTEGRATED SYSTEMS

Forage DM availability : 2.99- 2.16 mt / ha for 3 and 5 year old palms reducing to 435-628 kg / ha for 10-29 year old palms (Chen et al., 1991)

60-70 forage species in young palms , which are reduced by about 66 % in older palms

Forage categories : 56-64 % grasses, 18-23 dicotyledons , 3-19 % legumes and 2-15 % ferns for 3- 10 year old palms , and 50 % grasses, 13 % dicotyledons , 2 % legumes and 35 % ferns ( Wong and Chin, 1988 )

About 72- 93 % of the forages are palatable and of value to ruminants Carrying capacity : 3 steers / ha in 3-4 year old palms to 0.3-0.4 steers /ha

with over 7 year old palms , and The under- storey forage cover presents enables breeding animals and use

in situ the range of CR and AIBP from oil palm.

THE OIL PALM THE OIL PALM ENVIRONMENT:CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT:CONDUCIVE PRODUCTION ATTRIBUTESPRODUCTION ATTRIBUTES

1). Beneficial effects of shade on livestock

2). Draught animal power on land preparation and crop

growth

3). Effects of dung and urine on soil fertility and crop

growth

4). Use of crop residues and AIBP from trees in situ

5). Use of native vegetation and effects on cost of weed

control, crop management and crop growth, and

6). Type of animal production systems (extensive, systems

combing arable cropping, and systems integrated with

tree cropping).

TYPES OF RUMINANT-OIL TYPES OF RUMINANT-OIL PALM INTERACTIONSPALM INTERACTIONS

AVAILABLE FEEDS FROM AVAILABLE FEEDS FROM THE OIL PALMTHE OIL PALM

By-productYield

(mt/ha/ yr)

Edible:1. Oil palm fronds2. Palm kernel cake3. Palm oil mill effluent4. Palm press fibreNon-edible:1. Bunch trash2. Palm nut shells

0.620.960.040.23

10.740.15

Summary from 21 case studies involving cattle :-

1).Increased animal production and income

Due to increased productivity and meat offtakes

2). Increased yield of FFB and income

By about 30 %, and measures of 0.49 – 3.52 mt / ha / yr.

3). Savings in weeding costs

By about 47- 60 %, equivalent to 21 – 62 RM / ha / yr.

4). Internal rate of return (IRR)

The IRR of cattle under integration was 19% based on actual field data.

5). Potential further income

Integration with goats can potentially further increase income.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS ECONOMIC IMPACTS

Include inter alia the following:- • Poor awareness of the potential of integrated systems eg. oil

palm and ruminants• Resistance by the crop- oriented plantation sector• Inadequate technology application• Problems in the supplies of animals• High prices for crude palm oil• Unattractive investment climate• Weak inter-agency-private sector collaboration, and • Absence of policies to promote integrated systems.

CONSTRAINTS TO INTEGRATION CONSTRAINTS TO INTEGRATION

Integrated ruminant – oil palm systems are potentially very important and are underestimated

Ruminants enhance increased animal protein supplies, value addition in the oil palm and sustainable development

Wider adoption of the systems is constrained by a lack of policy, high prices for crude palm oil, complacency, and inadequate technology application

The economic impacts are considerable and are highlighted in several case studies including C sequestration

Demonstrable environmental sustainability is evident , and Overcoming the constraints and building partnerships between

various agencies and the private sector constitute the challenges for the immediate future.

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

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