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COCONUT BASED FARMING SYSTEM in MALAYSIA* on Behalf

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COCONUT BASED FARMING SYSTEM in MALAYSIA* on Behalf COCONUT BASED FARMING SYSTEM IN MALAYSIA* On behalf of the Malaysian delegation, I would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to the Government of Philippines for the excellent host facilities provided for this 27th COCOTECH Meeting. The choice of Manila as the venue for this important meeting is a suitable one, in view of the significant role Philippines plays in the coconut development of the Asia and Pacific region. This will undoubtedly provide the desired awareness and impact to promote coconut based farming system and help to contribute towards the success of the meeting. Litroduction In general Malaysian agriculture can be divided into two major sectors namely the estate or plantation sector and the smallholding sector. The estate sector would by and large involve crops such as rubber, oil palm, coconut, tea, sugar cane and lately to a certain extent some fruit trees. The smallholdings would invariably grow not- only these crops but a wider range of crops such as rice, fruit trees, field crops, vegetables, sugar cane, spices and other miscellaneous crops. The estimated acreage of coconut in Malaysia is about 321,000 hectares, mainly confined to the coastal areas in both Peninsular Malaysia as well as the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. About 92% of these coconut areas are under smallholdings and it has been estimated that between 90,000 - 100,000 families are involved in their cultivation. Coconut in the estate sector is well-managed with an efficient intercropping system. In contrast, the * Presented and read by Ahmad Zubeir Hj Nocrdin, Under Secretary, Ministry of Primary Industries, Malaysia. 155 traditional smallholdings are normally poorly maintained with no definite system of farming practices. Sometimes, a monoculture system is practised whilst a mixed enterprise involving a number of crops including some livestock within a single coconut holding is also practised. Size of the Smallholdings The size of holdings varies from one area to another. About 50% of the smallholders have farm sizes of 1.2 to 4 ha while 22% of them own farms of less than 1.2 ha. There is a trend of decreasing farm size due to the traditional system of land ownership. FarmLaboxir The average number of family per farm household in major coconut growing areas is between 5 to 7 people. The decreasing farm size thus has resulted in increased man-land ratio in each farm unit. An average smallholder normally utilises over 200 man-days in their farms annually. Consequently three able-bodied members of an average farm family would be considered sufficient to participate in the farm activities. Types of Coconut-Based Farming Systems In Malaysia, the main characteristic of a traditional coconut smallholding is a mixture of crops and livestock maintained in a single farm. Primarily, this is undertaken with the objective of broadening the income base of the farmer as well as providing for his daily needs. Through the coconut development programmes undertaken by the Government since mld- 1960's, smallholders have been encouraged to adopt intercropping and/or integration of livestock in their farm. These programmes have since contributed to a more productive farming system in the coconut sector. 156 Coconut - Cocoa In Malaysia, cocoa is the most popular intercrop grown with coconuts. The rapid expansion of cocoa intercropping with coconuts for the last two decades was mainly due to technology available coupled with the high prevailing market price of cocoa during that period. In 1985, it was estimated that more than half of the 85,000 ha. of coconut land which have been identified suitable have been intercropped with cocoa. However, there has been a distinct change over the past few years where relatively little or no expansion of cocoa under coconuts in the smallholdings has taken place. Even the estate has in the recent past been more cautious in the development of cocoa with coconut. This is due to the unfavourable cocoa prices in the world market since 1987. CJoconut - Coffee Coconut-coffee is the next most popular intercropping system being practised in Malaysia. Coffee is commonly intercropped in areas where cocoa is unsuitable especially in acid sulphate areas or shallow peat conditions. It has been estimated that over 10,000 ha of coconut have been intercropped with coffee. Future expansion of coffee is possible as some of the 60,000 ha of coconut land classified under peat and acid sulphate can still be utilized. Coconut- Livestock Livestock rearing such as chickens, ducks, sheep, goats, beef and dairy cattle is commonly found in coconut smallholdings. Realising the potential of livestock integration with coconuts in providing various benefits such as additional income, reduced cost of weeding, etc, this practice is being encouraged by the government. Further the availability of copra- cake as supplementary feeding helps to ensure the successful rearing of cattle in coconut areas. 157 Other Coconut-Based Farming Systems Other types of crops which are being interplanted with coconuts include bananas, pineapples, cloves and vegetables. Their total acreages is rather small. In the case of bananas, they are more popular among the smallholders as they are relatively simple to manage and have a short maturity period of less than one year. Whilst banana intercropping is not undertaken in an organised manner, they are normally planted in a more organised intercropping system only during the early establishment of coconut planting. Pineapple-coconut intercropping system is more common in the shallow peat and the acid sulphate areas. At the same time, beekeeping for honey production has also been practised by some farmers to supplement their income. Develc^ment Policy and Extension Strategies of Coconut Based Farming Systems Devel<^ment Prc^ammes for the Coconut The Government has long realised that coconut smallholders are mainly in the lower income group. This has prompted the formulation of the Coconut Replanting and Rehabilitation Scheme and other related development programmes mentioned earlier with the main objective of improving the economic well-being of the coconut smallholders. Under these programmes, smallholders are encouraged to intensify their coconut land utilisation through intercropping and/or integration with livestock. Under the National Agricultural Policy, which provides guidelines for the development of Malaysian agriculture up to the year 2000, coconut cultivation is aimed towards meeting domestic consumption and as shade for intercropping purposes. Intercropping and integration of livestock with coconut will continue to be encouraged by the Government. 158 Extension Strategies In Malaysia, the extension of technologies related to coconut based farming system is the major responsibility of the Department of Agriculture. Demonstration plots featuring specific types of coconut intercropping systems were established at strategic areas on farmers' land throughout the country. To achieve maximum benefits from the demonstration plots, it is desirable to treat the system as a package technology which would encompass the complete agronomic requirements of the particular intercrop. These plots would thus act as a nucleus for nearby farmers to adopt the technology. Talks, seminars and dialogues are often organised within the farming community so as to disseminate the necessary information and also to receive feedback. Constraints in Coconut-Based Fanning Systems Constraints for Intercropping System The choice of crops for intercropping with coconut is dependent on a number of factors such as soil condition, shade level, size of holdings, farm labour, gestation period, price and marketing system of the farm produce. Besides cocoa, coffee, bananas, pineapples and some vegetables, cloves may also be intercropped with coconut but its long gestation period renders it unattractive to the smallholders. Pepper is another crop that can be intercropped with coconut but it is not popular among smallholders because like coffee, it is also very labour intensive. Although a major proportion of coconut areas have been intercropped with cocoa, the potential of this enterprise is highly influenced by the market price of cocoa. However, based on the prevailing prices of coffee, intercropping with coffee will appear to be more profitable as compared to intercropping with cocoa despite the labour intensive nature of the crop. 159 Constraints for Livestock Integration The commercial rearing of livestock as opposed to intercropping with coconut is not widely practised. This is because livestock rearing is considered more difficult required to maintain as compared to crops and it also requires more labour to run an organised coconut-livestock system. Furthermore, it requires higher capital and operational costs. Conclusion The cultivation of coconuts would continue to feature prominently in the smallholder sector of Malaysian agriculture. Smallholders have generally accepted the fact that monoculture plantings of coconut is not a viable enterprise. Consequently they have realised that the intensification of the coconut land through various intercropping and/or integration of livestock could improve their productivity and income. In order to achieve maximum benefits to the smallholders, the adoption of a particular farming system with coconut would first of all require smallholders to be equipped with the necessary skills. In order to increase value-added to coconuts, smallholders are encouraged to further utilise the coconut by-products. The role of the extension agency is crucial so as to ensure that the technologies related to coconut based farming system are well received and adopted by the smallholders. 160 .
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