FARMER INNOVATES OWN CATTLE FEED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MAINTAINS PRICES FOR AIDILADHA

SEPANG, June 15 (Bernama) -- The difficulty in obtaining pellet feed for livestock during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a farmer in Sungai Merab here to produce his own feed formula for cattle for the Aidiladha sacrificial ritual.

Kumpulan Agro Selangor livestock centre manager, Abdul Aziz Noor Azzuddin, 28, said the feed formula was innovatively created by his father, Noor Azzudin Abd Aziz, 57, the founder of the company, using tips from YouTube and his experience as a former Physics and Science teacher.

He noted that the result was better quality meat without the use of illegal substances sometimes used to fatten cattle, and it also helped reduce the selling cost of cattle by around RM500 to RM800 per head compared to the expensive pellet feed.

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"The cattle are fed 100 per cent with our own formulated feed. The main ingredients are a mix of corn, bran, palm kernel, wheat, rice, corn, tubers, brown sugar and protein, all learned from YouTube.

"We chose to formulate our own feed to avoid being tied to the high prices set by pellet feed producers, which can be quite burdensome for farmers," he said, adding that they also provide rice straw obtained from farmers in Kedah and vegetables.

He said that around five to six tonnes of feed are needed daily for the company's 1,300 cattle and 500 goats at various livestock centres around Selangor, including Sungai Merab, Gombak, Antara Gapi and Batang Kali.

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In conjunction with Aidiladha, approximately 1,200 of their livestock, comprising goats and cattle, have been booked by individuals, non-governmental organisations, mosque and surau managements over the past few months. They are sold at prices ranging from RM4,500 to RM7,000 each, depending on the weight and breed of the cattle.

He expressed gratitude that while other farmers are complaining about the rising costs of feed, operations, and care, forcing them to increase the prices of sacrificial cattle, his company can maintain last year's prices.

This is partly due to reduced labour costs, thanks to the use of feed mixing machines, large feed storage facilities and additional income from selling cow manure for fertiliser after the sacrificial season ends.

Meanwhile, the Department of Veterinary Services informed Bernama in a statement that it conducts regular monitoring programmes by taking animal feed samples from feed premises to check for the use of antibiotics, hormones or other chemicals.

The statement highlighted that this is to ensure food safety and protect consumers from potential hazards associated with the use of prohibited substances, including steroids, in animal feed.

"The mixing of prohibited substances, including steroids, in livestock feed is prohibited as stated in the Animal Feed Act 2009. Any information regarding the mixing of steroids in animal feed can be reported to the DVS for investigation and legal action under the Animal Feed Act 2009," the statement read.

-- BERNAMA