Big Boost For Boer Breeding Project

Big boost for Boer breeding project (part of the article)
New Straits Times - February 5, 2008
R. Sittamparam

BOER goats will soon dot the fields of animal husbandry farms all over the country with the success of a high-technology Boer goat breeding project by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi).

Mardi has employed the Advanced Reproductive Biotechnology (ARB), hich together with the National Animal Embryo Centre (NAEC), aims to stock the farms of breeders in the country with high quality breeds of the Boer goat. The goat produces mutton of the best quality with low fat content.
The ARB project involves the production of embryos from quality cows and goats especially imported from mutton-producing areas like South Africa and Australia that are bred at satellite and
breeding farms nationwide to create a livestock nucleus or elite group.

The government had also set up a National Boer Goat Farm in Pondok Tanjung, Perak, and a National Feedlot Centre in Negri Sembilan under this project. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who visited the Kluang Mardi station recently, said the NAEC and ARB based at the station had been given due accreditation by the Boer Goat Breeders Association of South Africa. Two representatives from South Africa were present to deliver certificates to NAEC and ARB for the purpose.

"We're now encouraging more livestock farmers to breed the elite stock of Boer goats being produced here in helping the country achieve self-sufficiency in mutton supply. "Currently, only about nine-per cent of mutton is from locally bred goats but with this new project, we're confident of tremendously boosting our production." Muhyiddin said the government would ensure that livestock farmers interested in taking up Boer goat breeding get the necessary support from Bank Pertanian, Fund for Food, SME Bank and others, adding that this new bio-technology would also be used for breeding other livestock.

The Boer goat project was among the latest advances in biotechnology on display at the three-day Showcase Bio-Business Mardi 2008 at the Kluang Mardi station opened by Muhyiddin. Muhyiddin said the event would help promote Kluang as a national focus area for livestock development.

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