Advances In R&D To

Address The Livestock

Industry Issues
Beyond 2020



Pg2

GST and The Livestock

Industry





Pg2
Feb 2015
Vol: 004
ISSN 2289-6511

Livestock RFID Profiling

Ayam Kampung MARDI For

Local Market
Pg3

Launching Of Fast Detection

Kit For Salmonella- MicroTEZtm
Pg4

772289

651006

MARDIs Designer Eggs For Health

Enhancement
Pg9

Pg11

The Future Of Livestock

Industry In Malaysia

RUMINANT production faces drastic changes to remain sustainable

Research on locally sourced feed content is key to competitiveness
consumption, due to its universal acceptance with
By: Dr. Abu Hasan Md Ali

no cultural or religious barriers and also being the
Department Of Veterinary Services, Putrajaya
cheapest source of meat in the country.
The increasing demand for livestock products
rowth in human population, income, continues to be a key opportunity for business and
urbanisation and industrialisation has led to economic growth, although only a few players,
the increasing demand for livestock products. especially the poultry subsector have taken advantage
The influx of foreign workers and growth in the of this opportunity effectively.
tourism industry has also increased the number of
The livestock industry is expected to respond to
consumers for livestock products.
the growing demand by intensification of production.
Per capita consumption of animal protein such as However, this may lead to increasing pressures on
meat, milk and eggs continue to rise as society becomes natural resources such as water and land, competition
more affluent. Demand for poultry meat and beef is for land between food and non-food production, the
expected to increase by more than 5% annually while challenging problems of pollution of air and water,
milk, mutton and eggs is expected to grow at least by and climate change.
3% per year.
Effective resource management such as water is
Poultry meat represents 74% of total meat crucial to meet livestock requirement, reduce wastage

and mitigate pollutants and degradation of water

quality.
Some of the possible constrains and challenges
are also related to the availability, cost and priority
in utilisation of production resources such as land,
capital and labour.
Requirements by consumers with respect to food
quality and safety, taste preference and lifestyle,
awareness on the environment and animal welfare
put additional constraints to the livestock industry.
Integration of food and nutritional security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity
would be the consideration for current and future
development of the livestock industry.
More on page 3

Organic Farming Scenario In Malaysia

by non-government organizations
By: Dr. Mohd Norowi Hamid (NGOs) and it has been promoted by
Strategic Resources Research Centre,
NGOs since the mid-1990s. However
MARDI
the imports of organic products into
the country occurred long before that
and consist mostly of organic fruits
RGA N IC f a r m i n g u s e s mainly from Australia, New Zealand,
almost exclusively biological China, Korea and Japan.
and natural materials and
The first domestic production was
processes to produce food. The sold through a subscription scheme
practice aims to protect human that reached more than 500 families
health and conserve, maintain or in 1995. The turnover of organic
enhance natural resources, with the products, mainly imports, was
goal to preserve the quality of the estimated at US$20 million in 2004
environment for future generations and the production at 900 hectares,
while being economically sustainable. mainly in fruit and vegetables.
Organic farming has grown
In early 2000, the government of
rapidly throughout the world in recent Malaysia through the Department
years. In Malaysia, it was started of Agriculture (DOA), foresaw the

emerging and importance of organic

industry in the future.
DOA decided to take action by
establishing and launching the
national regulations for the Malaysian
Organic Certification Programme
known as Sijil Organik Malaysia
(SOM) in 2003, to facilitate organic
farming in Malaysia and to certify
farms based on the requirements of
the Malaysian Standard MS1529:2001.
The standard strictly sets the
requirements for all stages of crop
production and to control hazards
that affect the environment, food and
workers health and safety.

More on page 8

Feb 2015

VIEW POINT

GST and The Livestock Industry

animals, drugs etc.

Farmers/processors
Wholesellers
Retaillers

What is the rate in livestock

industry?
There are three GST rates: zero rate
(0%), standard rate (6%), exemption rate.
Supplies of the following livestock
products are subject to GST at zero rate:
Live animals (cow, buffalo, goat,
sheep and swine);
Fresh, chilled or frozen meat
and edible offal of cow, buffalo,
goat, sheep and swine;
Live poultry (chicken and duck);
Fresh, chilled or frozen meat and
edible offal of chicken and duck;
Fresh and salted egg (chicken
and duck).
By: Noor Rahim Sharif
Department Of Veterinary Services,
Putrajaya

What is GST?
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
is a multi-stage tax on domestic
consumption. GST is charged on all
taxable supplies of goods and services
in Malaysia except those specifically
exempted. GST is also charged on
importation of goods and services into
Malaysia.

Who should pay?

Consumers and the intermediaries in
the production and distribution process
should pay the GST. Although the tax
is paid throughout the production and
distribution chain, only the value added
at each stage is taxed, thus avoiding
double taxation.

Who are the intermediaries in

the livestock industry?
The intermediaries in the livestock
sector are all the players in the value
chain in livestock industry:
Input suppliers such as feed, live

Supplies of the following livestock

products are subject to GST at a standard
rate:
Supplies of livestock products
that are not listed in the
above paragraph such as deer
meat, turkey, quail, goose and
hedgehog.
Further processed products,
even the processing of zero rated
goods
Animal feed
Supply of non-farming activities
such as providing farm visit,
charges or fee for activities
involving livestock/animals such
as horse riding.

A Farmer can remain in the

exempted category in this scheme as
long as his supplies of non-farming
activities do not exceed 20% of his total
supplies.

Who should register?

The intermediaries whose annual
turnover is RM500,000 and above must
register (Registered Person). However
those whose turnover is below the
prescribed threshold limit (RM500,000)
could voluntarily register with GST
(Registered Person) or register in Flat
Rate Scheme (FRS) (Approved Person).

What are the differences

between Registered Person
and Approved Person?
Registered Person is required
to charge GST and can claim back
whatever GST paid for the purpose
of making a taxable supply. Whereas
Approved Person may charge flat rate
addition (FRA) on his supply (including
zero rated goods) to GST Registered
Person only and keep that FRA as
a compensation for his input tax on
his purchase.
Source : Guide on agriculture,
fisheries and livestock industry, Royal
Malaysian Customs Department

EDITORIAL
Advisor
Dato Dr. Sharif Haron
(Director General MARDI)

Advances In R&D To Address The Livestock

Industry Issues Beyond 2020

MARDI Editorial Team

Dr. Mohamad Roff Mohd Noor
Dr. Ainu Husna MS Suhaimi
Rohani Md Yon
Maheswary Vellupillai
Norhafizah Mohd Yusof

Copywriter
Shamsul Bahari Mohd Yunos

Designer
Sham Hosni

Art Director
Spice Communications Sdn Bhd
For enquiries, please contact

Scientia MARDI
MARDI Headquarters,
Persiaran MARDI-UPM,
43400 Serdang Selangor,
Tel : 603-8943 7317
Fax : 603-8984 3664
Email : scientia.mardi@gmail.com

shusna@mardi.gov.my

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scan with your smartphone

ivestock is an important commodity in the agricultural

sector giving significant contribution to the national GDP, which
increased from 9% in 2008 to 11.7% in
2012 with an ex-farm value of RM14.1
billion in 2013. These facts were highlighted by Dato Dr. Sharif Haron, Director General of MARDI, who delivered a
keynote address at the 26th Veterinary
Association of Malaysia (VAM) Congress in June 2014.
Dr. Sharif is a qualified veterinary
surgeon with years of experience in
leading edge research on in-vitro fertilization and embryo.
He further emphasised that over the
years, major improvements have been
made in the non-ruminant sub-sector
compared to the ruminant sub-sector.
He pointed out that within a relatively
short period of time the non-ruminant
sub-sector transformed from a backyard to a highly modern, commercial
and efficient enterprise.
The ruminant sub-sector, however,
is still not well developed in spite of the
emphasis and priority it has received
from the government in its develop-

ment plans. The livestock sector has

generally benefited from innovative
research, which in the past was generally funded by public funds but has now
shifted towards private sector funds,
especially in the non-ruminant sector.
He further reiterated that the adoption of innovative technologies alone
is not sufficient for the success of any
enterprise but requires a conducive
ecosystem. This ecosystem was readily
established in the non-ruminant subsector, locally as well as worldwide, as
opposed to the ruminant sub-sector.
Dr. Sharif stressed the need to
address priority areas identified by
global entities to stay competitive in
the global trade liberalisation era.
He also suggested that future research should address priority areas
such as resource efficiency, responsible
livestock farming systems, healthy livestock and people as well as knowledge
exchange towards innovation.
He was bold enough to raise the
notion that despite innovative R&D,
it may not be possible to meet all the
requirements of the growing population
such as the demand for beef. Perhaps

it is timely to consider alternative means

of meeting the energy and protein requirements of the growing population,
suggested Dato Dr. Sharif.
He further clarified that there is a
difference between self-sufficiency
level (SSL) of a commodity compared
to nutrients. For example, the SSL of
beef in the country is 29% but if the
SSL is based on protein requirements
alone, rather than consumer culinary
preferences, the present quantum of
protein produced from all sources in
the country is more than sufficient to
feed the population.
He put forward the novel notion
of designer foods to meet consumer
culinary needs while sustaining production. He cited an example of converting
chicken meat to the shape and flavour
of other meats, like beef as it is generally easier to grow chicken than beef
in a given unit area.
He further highlighted that this possibility has already been exploited in
the form of mayonnaise (Just Mayo)
made totally from plants without any
eggs which went into market in 2013
and was backed by Bill Gates as the
advisor for Hampton Creek Foods.
Dr. Sharif also suggested that it
is time that we venture into new approaches to innovate and think out-ofthe-box and develop such innovative
food to be well accepted by consumers.
The ideas put forward by Dato
Dr.Sharif Haron was well received by
the audience who was exhilarated by
his revolutionary thoughts for the future
of protein security for the nation.

Keynote Address,
by Dato Dr. Sharif bin Haron
VAM 2014, Putrajaya

Feb 2015

TECHNOLOGY

Livestock RFID Profiling

A MARDI Telekom Malaysia R&D Research Collaboration

Latest generation of RFID chip design, custom applicator & its application

Extensive hardware deployment

By: Dr. Shanmugavelu Sithambaram

Strategic Livestock Research Centre,
MARDI

he use of Radio Frequency Identification or RFID in livestock is not

new and there are many products
available commercially, but none has
been thoroughly tested or developed for
local animals.
The present animal identification
is based on ear tags which can be lost
and at times soiled making it difficult to
identify animals.
The basic concept of the project was
to develop a read-write RFID chip that
can be inserted under the skin of the
animal with ease and read easily with a
matched reader.
The project, Development of a
RFID-based livestock profiling system,
was a collaborative effort between
MARDI and Telekom Malaysia Research
& Development Sdn. Bhd. (TMR&D)
which was officially signed in 2012.
The testing of the concept was
initiated in early 2010 at MARDI
Kemaman Research Station with both
teams allocating their own funds to
evaluate its application in cattle. This

initial concept was further developed

into a research entity after several
discussions between MARDI & TMR&D
counterparts.
The system was evaluated with
a prototype RFID chip developed by
TMR&D and after several tests, a walk
through automatic livestock identification and weight recording system was
developed.
The system was effective but there
were some drawbacks as it required
extensive hardware deployment at site
and the prototype RFID chip (5mm x
25mm) had to be inserted surgically.

Recent advancements to the

system
Based on the drawbacks of the
prototype, the system was improved with
a smaller RFID chip (4mm x 20mm) that
can be applied with a customised chip
inserter. Furthermore, the extensive
hardware deployment was reduced
with the use of Bluetooth capable reader
enabling its use in farm conditions
without power supply.
The TMR&D team was brought to
the harshest environment with the most
difficult to handle animals, at MARDI
Kemaman Field Research Station, to

ensure its future success under field

applications.
The team successfully obtained
Intellectual Property rights for the RFID
chip and inserter.

Future of the RFID system

The project was completed and at
present under negotiation for selection
of potential partners for commercialisation.
All animals at MARDIs research
farm had been inserted with the custom
RFID chip for animal performance
assessment and inventory management.
A number of local farmers have
expressed interest in the chip for
permanent animal identification, in the
wake of theft of livestock, as ear tags can
be easily removed.
If the RFID identification system
can be implemented nationwide, a
National Ruminant Database System
can be developed and potential
genetic resources identified for breed
improvement.
The on-farm use of this system
enables the farmers to identify and
separate animals based on their growth
rate to optimise feeding management and
reduce production costs.

The feed, animal genetics as

well as disease information can be
communicated via existing networks
using mobile tools for improved national
ruminant production.
As information can also be written
into the RFID chip that was developed,
animal disease status can be encrypted
into the chip enabling the development
of an early warning system for notifiable
diseases.

The success of the project

The project was successful due to the
commitment of the project team members
which comprised Dato Dr. Sharif Haron,
Dato Dr. Azizan Ab. Rashid, Dr. Marini
Ahmad Marzuki from MARDI with Mr.
Rohisyam Abdul Rahman, Mr. Harindar
Singh Attar Singh, Mr. Rizal Yusob and
Mr. Anpijothi Elumalai from TMR&D.
There were also other important players
besides the main team which included
Mr. Abdul Razak Mahmood, Mr. Awis
Putih, Mr.Mohd Firdaus Baharuddin,
Ms. Nik Siti Mariani, Mr. Mazwan
Ismail, Mr. Fadzlirahimi Ismail, Ms.
Juliana Yaakub from MARDI and
support from Ms. Maimunah Reduan,
General Manager and Dr. Gopi Kurup,
the CEO of TMR&D.

From front page

The Future Of Livestock Industry In Malaysia

Poultry and Ruminant
Industries Continue To Expand
T he i ndu st r i a l i s e d p ou lt r y
production system has enabled the
country to be self-sufficient in poultry
meat and eggs since the 1980s. Poultry
production units will continue to expand
for better economies of scale and profitability.
Unlike poultry farming, smallholder
ruminant farming is currently
dominating ruminant production but
this has to change significantly in the
future to ensure better productivity and
sustainability.
Livestock production has to be
featured as a business in perpetuity.
Opportunities for business and wealth
creation should be clearly demonstrated
by success stories of industry players.
The backyard nature of livestock
farming although low in input costs
is not sustainable and fragile to
disruptions such as diseases and
changes in weather conditions.
In the future, livestock production
is likely to be increasingly characterised by expansion of highly intensive
production system and the phasing

out of smallholder traditional farming

system.
Food security in animal protein has
to be advocated through the setting up
of permanent livestock production areas
or farms and not depending on low- input
systems practiced by smallholders.
Depending on the types and
systems of livestock production, feed
cost is estimated to be 60 - 70% of total
production cost. About 70% of feed
ingredients are imported ranging from
cereal grains, vegetable and animal
proteins, minerals, various microingredients and other additives used
to improve feed efficiency and growth.

Research & Development

The dependency on imports makes
the cost of feed and cost of livestock
production high in the country. Over
the past three decades, local researchers
have reported on the availability,
nutritive value, optimal inclusion
levels and treatment methods to
enhance feeding values of many locally
available feed ingredients in poultry and
ruminant rations.
R&D on animal feeds and nutrition
should be aggressively pursued not

only to increase efficiency in livestock

production but also to reduce the
dependency on imports and the impact
of changes to the global feed supply.
Innovations are needed in all aspects
of the livestock industry along the value
chain, from pre-production systems to
the end-products and markets. Animal
feed production systems need to be
integrated with breeding and genetics,
animal production systems, and linked
with the processing industry and retail
sectors.
The future food chain has to
be transparent, with tracking and
traceability systems, product and
process controls, quality assurance and
food safety. There will be more direct
business to business and business to
society relationships.
Management, and in particular
information management, will be
a decisive production factor. The
management of future livestock
production systems combines entrepreneurship with responsibility and
integrity.
These require new knowledge, skills
and innovations with holistic approach

of modern management science in

livestock production.
Market, environment and society are
important drivers for the changes that
have to take place along the value chain
of the livestock industry. Developing
livestock farming systems and practices
that meet the strict targets set by the
market, environment and society are
major challenges facing the stakeholders
of the livestock industry.
Developing inst r uments and
incentives that facilitate the implementation of modern livestock farming
policies, regulations, systems and
practices are equally important.
The industry development has
to be in line with Malaysias vision
to be a developed nation by the year
2020, guided by governments policy
initiatives such as the Economic Transformation Programme and the AgroFood
Policy.
The application of science and
technology together with sound
management and economic models
should be continuously pursued for
the development of a modern and
sustainable livestock industry.

Feb 2015

TECHNOLOGY

Ayam Kampung MARDI For Local Market

By: Azlina Azma Binti Ismail Affendee
Strategic Livestock Research Centre,
MARDI

alaysians define ayam kampung

as local chicken with brownish
or mixed coloured feathers,
robust and slender bodies, longer legs
compared to the commercial broilers
and reared either in free-range or semiintensive systems.
Ayam kampung is well known for
their slow growth performance, with
a market weight of about 1.5 kg at 12 to
16 weeks old, compared to commercial
broilers that can reach 2.5 kg in 5
weeks.
The development of Ayam Kampung
MARDI started way back in 2008. The
project was initiated by sourcing
kampung chickens from the south,
north and central regions of Peninsular
Malaysia which were named as strain
Alpha, Beta and Gamma respectively.
These three sources were brought
to MARDI Muadzam Shah Research
Station in Pahang for breeding and

Newly hatched Ayam Kampung

MARDI

Ayam Kampung MARDI

selection. The chickens were kept in an

open semi-intensive rearing system and
the respective strains were in-bred to
produce day old chicks. The respective
strains were selected according to their
size and physical characteristics and
reared as breeder birds to produce day
old chicks.
The on-going breeding programme
is now at seventh generation.The
present Tetta strain was produced by

mating the male and female Beta strain

to Alpha strain.
At present, MARDI has four strains
of kampung chickens in which two
strains have good potential for growth
while the other two strains for egg
production.
Ayam Kampung M A R DI i s
suitable for semi-intensive rearing or
free-ranging system under oil palm
plantations, rubber or orchard.

The phenotypic features of the

kampung chickens are similar to the
local chickens in Malaysia but they
are more uniform in size. They retain
the original characters of kampung
chickens such as scavenging and
broodiness. The growth rates of Beta
and Gamma strains are comparable.
Low egg production rate in the
kampung chicken has been improved
with the development of Alfa and Tetta
strains that can achieve 65% and 60%
egg production repectively.
Ayam Kampung MARDI is capable
of delivering high returns because the
market price of kampung chicken is
more than double that of the crossbred
kampung chicken.
Their meat is firm and fine due to
scavenging activities in semi-intensive
or free-range rearing systems, coupled
with the provision of a balanced diet.
The four strains of Ayam Kampung
MARDI were developed to meet the
increasing demands for pure village
chickens. Compared to the commercial
broilers, breeding methods and
housing for Ayam Kampung MARDI is
much simpler and cheaper.

Eco-friendly Nitrogen Fixing Fertilizer

3-in-1 MARDI ALL COSMOS N-Fixers

absorption. Effective microorganisms (EM) present in the fertilizers

encourage root g rowth, fruiting
and stronger shoot production /
formation which in turn increases
crop production.

Increase Soil Nutrient

Absorption

Flow chart of 3 in 1 N-Fixing Fertilizer mass production

By: Nor Fadhilah Abd Halim

Strategic Resources Research Centre,
MARDI

itrogen is a strong limiting

nutrient in plant growth and
plants cannot absorb it from
the air although the atmosphere is
made up of 78% nitrogen because its
molecules are held by strong triple
bonds, making them nutritionally
unavailable to plants.
Plants typically get their nitrogen
from two sources, either in fixed form
from naturally occurring ammonia
or through industrially produced
ammonia. Industrial production of
ammonia through the Haber-Bosch
Protocol is an energ y intensive
process and currently the 600 facilities
worldwide use between three and five
per cent of the worlds natural gas
production and fixes 47 million tonnes
of nitrogen.
Biological systems fix 175 million
tonnes of nitrogen a year, clearly
indicating that biological conversion
is an avenue worth exploring.
Biologic a l Nit rogen F i xation
(BNF) relies on microorganisms that
can fix nitrogen into a usable form.
They belong to a group of prokaryotes
called diazotrophs that include cyanobacteria (e.g. the highly significant
T r icho de sm iu m) , g r e en su l f u r

bacteria, Azotobacteraceae, Rhizobia

and Frankia.
This natural process is natures
version of the energ y intensive
Haber-Bosch Protocol.
In agricultural terms, the result
of the microbial process are biofertilizers that add, conserve and mobilise
crop nutrients in the soil for plant
uptake.
This microbiologically induced
efficient management of crop nutrients
leads to long term sustainability in
crop production.
MARDI has isolated 3 free-living
n it rogen f i xer s a nd t hey a r e
designated as MARDI strain NC4,
NC10 and NC11. The isolation and
enrichment process were carried out
through enrichment and multiplication on solid media. These microbes
were selected for their ability to
consistently fix atmospheric nitrogen.
They survive and fix nitrogen in
compost environments. The extent
of nitrogen fixation in compost is
dependent on the amount of soluble
cytochrome protein, which is the
energy source for the fixation process.
M A R DI a nd A L L C O S MO S
BIOTECH HOLDINGS SDN BHD have
signed a Memorandum of Agreement
for 2 years to develop the prototype
of N-fixing fertilizer for field testing.
The survival rate of N-fixing
bacteria and the effectiveness of

N-fixing fertilizer on the growth and

yield of leafy vegetables and rice have
also been evaluated and determined.
The 3-in-1 MARDI-ALL COSMOS
N-fixing fertilizer contains a high concentration of microorganisms which
increases the soil pH, improves soil
fertility and helps plants to be more
resistant to pests and diseases.
It is best suited for hilly and
problematic soils. The soil conditioner
contains 65% organic matter, 30%
chemicals and 5% zeolite. It is
specifically formulated for all types
of crops.
This fertilizer is manufactured
based on scientific findings on soil and
plant nutrition. Chemical materials
(N, P, K, Mg, B) are combined with
organic matter and microbes for
long-term sustainable crop yields.
Integrating inorganic and organic
fertilizers increases the pH of the soil
and thus increases the efficiency of
nutrient uptake by the crop. It also
enhances the retention of nutrients
in the soil in the long term to improve
the soil quality.

3 Systems Working In
Synergy
The organic matter in the 3-in-1
M A R DI-A L L COSMOS N-f i xi ng
fertilizer increases plant efficiency
a nd ef fe c t ivene s s i n nut r ient

Due to its organic nature, the

3-in-1 MARDI-ALL COSMOS N-fixing
fer tilizer helps to increase soil
nutrients and improve water retention
capacity. This facilitates absorption
of minerals such as zinc, magnesium,
calcium and manganese. Microorganisms in the fertilizer also helps to
loosen the soil, making it healthier
to support plant growth and prolong
the plants productive life.

Incease Fruit Quality

The 3-in fertilizer significantly
increases the quality of fruits and
lowers the nitric acid content in
vegetables. Fruits and vegetables
are juicier and retain their original
f lavour.

Importance of Effective
Microorganisms
Effective microorganisms (EM)
are capable of positively inf luencing
decomposition of organic matter such
that it reverts into a life promoting
process. They are also called EM
Technology by proponents and are
used to maintain sustainable practices
such as farming and sustainable living
to support human health and hygiene.
The 10 species of microorganisms including MARDIs free-living
nitrogen fixing bacteria contained in
the 3-in-1 fertilizers fix nitrogen from
the air and soil, dissolve phosphate
and potassium to break down organic
material for easy and balanced uptake
by plant roots, thus improving plant
growth and soil structure.

Feb 2015

ACHIEVEMENT

Ethnoveterinary Medicine

An Alternative To Modern Veterinary Drugs

Citrus hystrix
(Limau purut)

Morinda citrifolia
(Mengkudu)

By: Dr. Mohd Rosly Shaari

Strategic Livestock Research Centre,
MARDI

ndiscriminate use of antibiotics

in animal production and other
chemical veterinary drugs can lead
to high antibiotic residues in meat, milk
and other animal products which, in
turn, can cause health problems to
consumers.
Indiscriminate use of antibiotics
also causes development of multiresistant strains of microbes, which is
a threat to human and animal health.
In the search for alternative drugs
for treatment of animal diseases, in
particular bacterial and parasitic
infections, ethnoveterinary medicine
(EVM) practices may provide answers
to some of the problems currently
encountered in modern veterinary
practices.
In Malaysia, studies on the use of
phytomedicines in veterinary health
care are very limited. For the past
decade, MARDI has intensified and
strengthened its research efforts
on EVM, particularly on animal
production.

Melastoma malabathricum
(Senduduk)

Based on t hei r widespread

traditional use, many herbal plants
have been screened for their potential
as antibacterials, antihelminthics and
also for use as antibiotic feed additives
and growth promoters in poultry.
Antibiotics are widely used as
a growth promoter in the livestock
industry to improve productivity.
These antibiotic growth promoters
(AGP) have been used at subtherapeutic levels to promote growth by
improving gut health, resulting in
better nutrient utilisation and improved
feed conversion.
The total ban of AGP in the
European Union (EU) since January
2006 resulted in an urgent need to
search for alternatives for improving
animal health without detrimental
effects.
The study on the use of Citrus hystrix
leaves to improve gut health in chicken
showed the potential of this plant as
an alternative to antibiotic growth
promoters on broiler performance. The
lower mortality rate with inclusion of
Citrus hystrix leaves warrants further
investigations.
Pa rasitic i n fections remai n
a constant problem in ruminant
production with the prevalence of

Ageratum conyzoides
(Rumpai daun lebar)

nematode infection of about 75% in

Peninsular Malaysia. Their resistance
to antihelmintic drugs such as benzimidazole, levamisole and ivermectin
in sheep and goats has become a major
point of concern among farmers.
As an a lter native, common
medicinal plants are used to control
helminthiasis on small ruminants such
as goats and sheep.
Study on the effectiveness of the
Hibiscus species, Melastoma malabathricum and Morinda citrifolia
against nematodes showed a significant
reduction in larvae motility of
Haemonchus contortus worms.
Another study conducted using
Mel a s t om a m al ab athri cum t o
evaluate the effects of plant leaves
extract on avian coccidia activity
showed significant effects on the
sporulation activity of Eimeria tenella
species parasites which expressed
the possibility of its anticoccidial
properties.
In-vitro study revealed high efficacy
of all plants tested and in-vivo investigations are on-going.
Many disease conditions in animals
are associated with inf lammation
especially after parturition. Inclusion
of dried Morinda citrifolia at 3% level in

Hibiscus rosa sinensis

(Bunga raya)

feed inhibited inflammatory response

after parturition as indicated by lower
neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio.
Another condition that can lead to
inflammation is wounding. Traditional
EVM makes use of many preparations
to treat wounds in livestock animals
which could lead to more serious
problems.
Our study showed that rats treated
with Ageratum conyzoides leaves extract
exhibited significant decrease in wound
size, faster healing time and shorter
epithelisation period (by 26%) compared
to untreated wound. The healing effects
produced was comparable to those of a
standard drug, silver sulphadiazine,
and thus proven to have wound healing
properties which could promote the
healing process.
Ethnoveterinary information is
in danger of extinction because of the
current rapid changes in communities
all over the world. Promoting the
conservation and use of ethnoveterinary medicine does not mean
downgrading or ignoring the value of
modern medicine and attempting to
replace one with the other. However,
it does mean recognising that both
types have their strengths and in some
instances complement each other.

Functional Genomics Approach To Understanding Cattle Fertility

2-Hormonalactions
TRH
axis

Feeding

Somatotrophic
axis

Fluid
regulation

3-Brain cell signaling

1-Gene Transcription
Transcription factors

Excitatory/Inhibitory
neurotransmission

Cell adhesion
Oestrogen signalling

Lactation

Stress

Immune response

GnRH neuron development

Reproduction

COORDINATED GnRH release

Synaptic transmission

Ion signalling

Proposed three levels of gene regulation and gene interactions in the hypothalamic control of GnRH in postpartum cattle.
Thin arrows indicate possible interactions between biological functions.
By: Dr. Ainu Husna M S Suhaimi
Corporate Communication, International &
Quality Division, MARDI

nimal fertility is very important

for cattle breeders. Annual
breeding is crucial in ensuring
profitability but there are many
instances where this does not happen for
cows that have undergone first calving.
Many factors such as post-partum
nut rition or lact ation cont rol
reproduction can cause cows to
experience a very long infertility period
and the targeted yearly calving cannot
be achieved.
Little is understood when it comes to
how and why some cows resume estrus

or fertility earlier than others. In order

to unravel these mechanisms, MARDI
worked together with Commonwealth
Scientific Research Organisation
(CSIRO) and University of Queensland
to utilise a functional genome approach.
Reproduction is controlled centrally
with the release of an important
reproductive neurohormone, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from
the hypothalamus of the brain.
The key to understanding the
central control of reproduction is by
understanding how factors integrate
and biochemicals interact in regulating
the release of this hormone.
Uti lisi ng a high-t h roughput
technology called microarray, where the
expression of 20,000 known cow genes
can be profiled as a model, hypothalamic
gene expression patterns of cows with

three different reproductive stages

were obtained. Observations of 926
genes revealed different gene expression
patterns between the three groups of
cows.
Upon fur ther bioin for matics
analysis, a significant number of the
genes identified were associated with
neuropeptide hormone activity, cell to
cell signaling, synaptic transmission
and reproductive processes.
Analysis of the genes also revealed
an association between neuroactive
ligand-receptor
i nterac tions
biolog ic a l pat hway a nd gene
networks surrounding an important
neurohormone, estrogen receptor alpha
(ESR1).
Interactions at three levels of gene
regulation were observed including
gene transcription, hormonal action

and brain cell-cell signaling.

The knowledge obtained will bring
us a step closer in understanding
hypothalamic control of postpartum
r e p r o du c t io n
t ow a r d s
better
management and breeding of beef cattle
with good reproductive efficiency in the
future.
The genes that were identified can
be further developed into molecular
markers to select high quality animals
with good postpartum reproductive
efficiency. Markers developed in the
future can be used for structuring beef
and dairy cattle breeding in Malaysia
and other tropical countries. This
knowledge can be used to develop a
decision support system to help farmers
achieve good reproductive efficiency in
tropical beef and dairy cattle.

Feb 2015

FOCUS

Ruminant Production:
Realigning The Future Through
Indigenous Breeds
By: Dr. Saadiah Jamli
Strategic Livestock Research Centre,
MARDI.

alaysia is blessed with several

indigenous breeds of ruminant
but improper and non-structural
breeding programmes as well as inappropriate and non-specific national
livestock policy, has led to their poor
development.
For the past 40 years, statistics has
shown that self-sufficiency level for
beef, mutton and milk has remained
almost static. The increased demand
for livestock products drives the efforts
to increase their production.
The development of ruminant
industry in Malaysia was carried out by
occasional introductions of Bos indicus
and Bos taurus, but the progress of the
development of the industry is rather
slow. None of these breeds became
well established in our hot and humid
tropical climate.
Despite a long list of breeds imported
into Malaysia for over 40 years, the
population of these breeds in Malaysia
appears insignificant.
Crossbreeding between indigenous
and temperate breeds was also carried
out to overcome the shortage of
ruminant production. However, due to
the complexity of the ruminant industry
with various limitations, the impact of
the programme is insignificant.
Nevertheless, the Brahman and
its crosses are among the tropical
breeds that have adapted effectively.
Brahman and its crosses have since
had an important role in overcoming
the shortage of breeding population
experienced by the beef industry. But

with tremendous demands for meat, the

high extraction rate had ruled out the
breeding initiatives.
The prospect for a breed depends, to
a great extent, on its economic viability
and sustainable production. Looking
at the present scenario of the industry
and taking economic viability as well
as sustainability of the industry into
consideration, Malaysia critically needs
to develop and focus on specific national
breeds and not continue to be dependent
on importation of livestock.
Long term solution via development
of national breeds is crucial for the sake
of food security. The breeds identified
should be indigenous-based in order
to survive and sustain in our hot and
humid tropical climate.
Current challenges worldwide also
may have severe consequences on local
ruminant production including global
warming, disease threats, diversity
erosion, and changes due to socioeconomic factors
Breed development intervention,
focussing on single productive traits,
natural disaster, global political
i nstabi lity and i ndiscri mi nate
crossbreeding are some of the other
challenges to the local ruminant sector.
With all these threatening factors,
Malaysia is in a critical phase and
breeding our own breeds is the only
plausible option left.
Strategy for mass production
and strict enforcement should be
implemented over a certain time period
to avoid further genetic erosion. In
fact, most of our indigenous breeds are
already in the list of endangered species
(Published by FAO).
Eying the potential of indigenous
breeds, Kedah-Kelantan cattle and
Katjang goats are among the best

Indigenous
breed

Beef cattle

Dairy cattle

Meat goat

Imported
breed

Kedah-Kelantan

Brahman
Hereford
Charolais
Angus
Nelore
Bali

Brakmas
Charoke

Local Indian Dairy

Friesian
Jersey
Guernsey
Brown Swiss
Ayrshire
Sahiwal
Simmental
Australian Milking Zebu

Mafriwal

Katjang

Boer
Savanna
Kalahari
Jamnapari

Germasia

Alpine
Toggenburg
Saanen

Dairy goat

Sheep

Local
developed
breed

Dorper
Siamese Long Tail
Barbados Black Belly

Malin

Breeds of ruminants in Malaysia

candidates. Kedah-Kelantan and
Katjang, both the forgotten and neglected
breeds, have huge potential. These
breeds have survived over the years
despite poor attention, lack of financial
support as well as competition with
massive importation.
Although phenotypically ill-favoured,

especially in terms of body size and

weight gain, their survivability under
harsh climate and feeding conditions
make them the suitable breeds for
Malaysia. Their genes and important
economic traits such as higher fertility
make them sustainable for long term
production.

Meat Consumption In
Malaysia
By: Dr. Chubashini Suntharalingam &
Muhamad Faireal Ahmad
Economics and Technology Management
Research Centre, MARDI

alaysias population growth

will mainly occur in urban
areas. High growth in urban
areas is affiliated with increased
wealth and higher purchasing power.
As a result of income growth, demand
for meat will also grow. Among
the three most consumed meat in
Malaysia, chicken is sourced locally
while beef/buffalo and goat/sheep
meat are imported. Chicken meat is the
primary protein source for majority of
the Malaysian population. Among the
three meat produced in Malaysia, i.e.,
cattle, goat and chicken, chicken is the
highest and goat, the lowest (Figure 1)
This is the outcome of a strong
partnership between the public and
private sectors. The poultry industry
has been mainly driven by major
structural changes. Large-scale,
vertically integrated broiler operations
contract grow-out operations to smaller
farmers. The Malaysian population
is expected to reach 38.5 million in
2040. Based on a constant chicken

consumption of 40 kg/person, the

country would require an estimated 1.5
million tonnes of chicken. Currently,
we produce 1.4 million tonnes.
Unfortunately, the picture is not
the same for beef/buffalo and goat/
sheep meat consumption. Over the last
two decades, imports of beef/buffalo
meat has increased 2.5 folds, from
RM3 billion between 1993 and 2002 to
RM7.5 billion between 2003 and 2012.
During the same period, imports of
goat/sheep meat increased by 2.8 folds,
from RM6.3 million to RM18 million.
Total imports of beef/buffalo meat
were RM3.6 billion between 1993 and
2002 and increased to RM9.3 billion
between 2003 and 2012 (Figures 2 and 3)
T he i ncreased rate of meat
importation warrants caution. Can
we afford to continue importing beef/
buffalo and goat/sheep meat to feed
our growing population? Perhaps it is
time for the Malaysian meat industry
to develop innovative strategies to
solve these issues and venture into
disr uptive -ty pe i n novation t hat
requires radical ideas to develop
futuristic food. A good example is
converting chicken meat to the shape
and f lavour of other meats, such as
beef/buffalo and goat/sheep meat.

Figure 1. Comparison of meat production in Malaysia between 1990 and

2013

Figure 2. Distribution of Meat Import

Value between 1993 and 2002

Figure 3. Distribution of Meat Import

Value between 2003 and 2012

Feb 2015

FOCUS

Ruminants Bred In Malaysia

Kedah-Kelantan Cattle

Brakmas Cattle

Bali Cattle

Nellore Cattle

Simmental Cattle

Jersey Cattle

Charoke Cattle

Mafriwal Cattle

Saanen Goat

Boer Goat

Savanna Goat

Katjang Goat

Dorper Sheep

Malin Sheep

Feb 2015

COMMERCIALISATION

A Business Opportunity in Silage Production

By: Dr. Ghazali Hussin

Station Management Centre, MARDI

ilage making has long been

practiced in Ma laysia, but
at a small scale and using
manual conventional method. The
first mechanical silage making in
Malaysia was introduced by the
Department of Veterinary Services
with the invention of a mechanical
compactor in the year 2000. Later in
2006, MARDI introduced OTOSIL,
the more complete silage production
machine.
OTOSIL consists of three major
components i.e., a chopper, a hydraulic

compactor and an inoculant injector.

The chopper is powered by an electric
motor and produces fine plant
material chips of 1-2 cm in length
suitable for efficient fermentation and
animal intake.
After chopping, the chips are
blown through the chopper trunk to a
cylindrical hopper equipped with an
automatic sensor switch. The chips
upon touching the sensor will then
activate the injector unit which sprays
the inoculants.
Further, a hydraulic compactor
unit compacts the chips into an
awaiting PVC drum. The process
continues intermittently until the PVC
drum is filled with chips. Finally, the
lid will be installed on top of the PVC

drum to complete the process. The

chips are then ensiled for 3 - 4 weeks
before feeding to ruminants.
OTOSIL increases production rate
of oil palm frond (OPF) silage by 63%
and subsequently reduces production
cost by 27% over the manual method.
The quality of silage produced by this
system also increases as indicated
by the reduction in pH value to
3.9 compared to 4.5 for the manual
method. In general, high quality silage
has lower pH value.
The machine is ver y usefu l
and practical for all types of silage
production and easily transportable
to any location. It can be powered
either by an electric motor or a diesel
engine and can be applied in-situ
where processing and utilisation of
the silage can take place.
The invention of OTOSIL assists
the livestock producers and feed
manufacturers in systematic silage
production and feeding activities. This
can be done because the technology
increases ruminant feed production
with subsequent decrease in imported
animal feed.
Secondly, there is greater interest
in trading and demand for new feed
between feed manufacturers and
ruminant producers by supplementing and adding values to the supply
chain in r uminant production.
Besides increasing OPF utilisation as
ruminant feed, it also increases the
utilisation of other ingredients such
as palm kernel cake (PKC), molasses,
rice bran and forages.
O T OSI L was reg i stered for
patenting in 2007 and a patent was
granted in 2014 (patent no. MY-151392A). The commercialisation phase was
started in 2007 and an agreement
of licensing technology was signed

between MARDI and Choon Heng

Engineering & Co. as fabricator.
The company agreed to pay MARDI
a 10% royalty based on the net sale
price of each OTOSIL. So far, about
RM55,396.00 has been paid to MARDI.
To date, about 24 units of OTOSIL
have been produced and used by the
silage entrepreneurs all over Malaysia
including Sabah and Sarawak. The
Farmers Associations, higher learning
institutes and private entrepreneurs
are among OTOSI L users. The
electric powered OTOSIL is priced at
RM32,850.00 while the diesel powered
version is priced at RM38,800.00.
C u r r e n t l y,
i nqui ries
and
discussions have been made with
Indonesia, Palestine and Egypt on the
possibility of exporting the OTOSIL to
their countries.
The economic viability of silage
production from OPF using OTOSIL
shows that the Internal Rate of
Return of 30.1% is higher than the
base lending rate (6 12%) creating
a positive net present value of
RM241,366.00. The benefit cost ratio is
higher and payback period is achieved
in a shorter period.
Based on the above indicators,
OPF silage production is viable and
has a commercial potential. On the
marketing front, a system similar to
cooking gas cylinder deposit system
may be suitable with buyers paying
deposit for the plastic drums which
are exchanged for new drums when
empty.
Other than OPF, the Napier grass,
corn and rice straws are also potential
materials for silage production in
Malaysia. Based on the experience
of OTOSIL users, the price of silage
can be sold between RM300.00 and
RM400.00 per tonne, depending on the
plant materials used.

From front page

Organic Farming Scenario In Malaysia

Amendments of Food
Regulations 1985
In order to prevent the misuse of
the organic label, the government
through the Ministry of Health made an
amendment to the Food Regulations 1985
which was gazetted on 24 August 2009.
T hese amend ments set the
requirements for any food products
to be labelled with the word organic,
biological, ecological and biodynamic
must comply with the labelling
requirements of the Malaysian Standard
MS 1529:2001.
This system ensures that any
agricultural product labelled as organic
must obtain SOM certification and
this allows consumers to differentiate between organic and non-organic
produce in the market.
In 2010, there were 42 certified
holders occupying 1,130 ha of land under
organic farming focussing on vegetable
production, fruits, animal husbandry
and aquaculture, compared to only 131
ha in 2001.
In 2013, the DOA reported that there
were a total of 104 farms occupying
1,677.4 ha of land under organic farming
with 51 farms having valid certification
and 53 farms having renewed certification.
Currently, the total number of farms
certified are 142 with a total area of 1,757
ha. The majority of organic farmers are
in the state of Pahang. The Malaysian
Standard MS1529:2001 is currently being

Organic vegetables sold in supermarket

reviewed to cater for the tremendous
growth and changes in the organic
industry. It is expected to be announced
soon.

Product Pricing

In terms of price, organic products

are normally marketed at higher prices
compared to conventional products due
to their limited available supply.
The difference in price ranged from
about 20 - 200% higher per unit product.
As an example, the price of organic
tomatoes is about RM17/kg compared to
non-organic tomatoes which are selling
at RM4.70/kg.
Consumers are willing to pay as high
as RM19/kg with an average price of
around RM12/kg. Marketing channels

of organic products used not only the

conventional system of agriculture and
food products but also depend on specific
target buyers from the niche markets.

Value Chain of Organic

Production
Some producers offer door-to-door
delivery to those interested to buy their
products. Others are selling either
through dedicated organic shops,
selected hypermarkets such as AEON,
Jaya Grocer and TESCO, or directly
to the end-users at their own shops or
farms.
There are a total of 328 operators of
organic marketing providers in Malaysia
as registered by the Organic Alliance

Malaysia in 2014 which covers all the

value chain of production. The market
value of organic products in Malaysia
has been increasing every year by 20-25%
growth due to increasing consumers
demand for functional and healthy foods.
The organic agriculture sector has
always received government support
through the Malaysian government
policy in the 8th, 9th and 10th Malaysia
Five Year Plan (2000-2015). The AgroFood
Policy (Dasar AgroMakanan 2011-2020)
encouraged small-scale producers to
invest in organic farming to increase
their income, protect the environment
and promote the countrys exports.
This involved a free certification scheme to maintain quality and
originality of products in domestic
market. In Malaysia, even though
the organic farming industry is still
considered as small and relatively
new compared to other agricultural
industries, it is a growing industry with
great concern and awareness among
consumers about healthy food.
Besides, one of the most valuable
benefits of organic farming is the environmental safety as it improves the soil
quality, promotes biodiversity, enhances
food quality and food safety.
However, further research is needed
on yields in organic agriculture and its
mitigation and sequestration potentials
towards climatic changes. Other critical
points are information provision and
institutional structures such as market
access.

Feb 2015

COMMERCIALISATION

Launching of
Fast Detection Kit
for SalmonellaMicroTEZTM

Low-cost
Antibiotic Residue
Detector For
Poultry Industry
Antibiotic residue detection methods
Immuno-gold
biosensor strip

ELISA

HPLC

Analysis
time

5 minutes

1 hour

1 2 days

Operator

Easy to operate and

does not require
highly skilled
operators

Requires highly
skilled operators

Requires highly skilled

operators

Analysis
result

Results displayed in
simple digital form
by a low-cost handheld reader

Results generated
by ELISA analyser

Analysis done by
expensive and
complicated lab
equipment and analysis
requires specialised
software

(RM1,000
RM2,000)

Launching of MicroTEZTM by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based

Industry, Dato Seri Tajuddin Rahman, on 23 November 2014 at MAEPS
By: Dr. Nur Azura Mohd Said & Noor Azlina
Masdor, Biotechnology Research Centre,
MARDI

he Salmonella (MicroTEZTM ) fast

detection kit was launched by
Deputy Minister of Agriculture
and Agro-Based Industry, Dato Seri
Tajuddin Rahman, on 23rd November last
year, in conjunction with MAHA 2014.
Among the highlights of the launch
was the exchange of Memorandum for
Technology Licensing between MARDI
and OPHL Holdings (M) Sdn. Bhd which
has been given the right to commercialise.
The MicroTEZTM kit was developed
by a group of researchers from MARDIs
Biotechnology Research Centre led by
Noor Azlina Masdor.
The research and development
initiative was started in 2005 by an
Intensification of Research in Priority
Areas (IRPA) Grant from the Ministry
of Science Technology and Environment
(MOSTE) and was further supported
by a RM1.5 million TechnoFund grant
from the Ministry of Agriculture and
Agro Based Industry (MOA) in 2011.
Salmonella is a bacteria that
causes food poisoning and such cases
of poisoning have the potential of
escalating into a serious medical
condition and can even be life
threatening.
Food that is frequently contaminated
by Salmonella is not limited to chicken,
and can include fruits, vegetables, meat,
eggs, dairy products, cakes, chocolates
and it can even contaminate cooking
utensils such as knives and unhygienic
cutting boards.
A person infected by Salmonella
usually feels nauseated and frequently
suffers from vomiting and diarrhea.
Delayed treatment can lead to serious
complications and even death.
Existing methods used by safety
labs in Malaysia require growing the
bacteria in a gel bed and this takes
between 5 and 7 days to yield contamina-

The complete MicroTEZTM Kit

tion results.
Meanwhile imported fast acting
commercial kits are very expensive
and this imposes a heavy burden on the
livestock and food industry when they
carry out safety and quality screenings.
T his prompted a g roup of
researchers at the Biodiagnosis
and Biosafety Programme (BT03) at
MARDIs Biotechnology Research
Centre to develop this consumer friendly
and cost effective quick detection kit
using the antibody-antigen technique.
This kit will allow food producers,
enforcement and monitoring agencies
and health laboratories to carry out
continuous testing to curb incidents of
food poisoning in Malaysia.

Description of Kit Technology

The MicroTEZ TM Kit bears a
resemblance to pregnancy test strips
and relies solely on visual indicators
that are visisble to the naked eye
without any need for technical
equipments and it is capable of detecting
Salmonella in as quick as 15 minutes.
The quick detection method was
developed based on lateral f low
technology where the presence of
bacteria would be indicated on both the
control and test strips while a negative
result would be displayed on only one
strip, the control strip.
This home-grown technolog y
is protected with a patent on the
technology for the generation of
antibody for Salmonella (PI 2010004739)
and its trade mark of MicroTEZTM
is also protected under registration
(2013000069).
With on-going promotional efforts,
the product has been introduced to
the international market through
exhibitions and has successfully
attracted interests from Indonesia,
Vietnam, Iran and Russia.
The consumer-friendly nature
of the product and its affordability have drawn the attention of foreign
stakeholders who are keen to order the
kit.

Detection
rate

Very high, >85%

(RM20,000
RM30,000)

(RM250,000
RM500,000)
> 70%

Extremely high, nearly

100%

Advantages of immuno-gold biosensor compared to other methods of

detecting antibiotic residue
By: Dr. Faridah Salam
Biotechnology Research Centre, MARDI

ALAYSIAN researchers have

developed a ground-breaking
low-cost method of effectively
detecting antibiotic residue levels in
poultry.
Commercialisation of this research
will have the potential of reducing
the cost of testing equipment from
RM500,000 to as little as RM2,000 and
this can have significant impact on
consumer health and public confidence
in the poultry industry.
The system not only saves millions
in enforcement costs but also allows
households to check on antibiotic
residue levels and help police the
industry.
Excessive use of antibiotics in
poultry farming is a short cut for
ensuring f lock survivability and
managed growth rate but it can leak
upwards in the food chain and cause
various serious health implications
including cancer, liver damage and
reducing overall effectiveness of the
immune system.
Highly technical testing is the only
way of enforcing the Maximum Residue
Limit (MRL) allowed in poultry because
consumers cannot detect excessive
residue from physical attributes such
as colour, smell, taste or texture.
Current practice relies on costly
conventional laboratory work using
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) and high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC) methods to
detect antibiotic residue levels.
These methods work well because
they are sensitive but require highly
prepared samples and high costs.
The ground-breaking immuno-gold
biosensor testing system relies on
immuno-gold biolabelling technology.
Com mercia lisation pa r t ner,
Deltagate Technologies Sdn. Bhd., plans
to develop an immuno-gold biosensorbased Antibiotic Sensor Package Kit.
So far the research team has
successfully prepared Bovine Serum
Albumin (BSA) conjugates and applied
the BSA antibiotic to rabbits and this led
to the development of polyclonal antitetracycline antibodies.
They have also successfully

prepared nano-gold antibody particles

using colloidal gold and developed the
test strips together with the necessary
reader.
Successful commercialisation and
deployment of the immuno-gold strip
technology will allow the chicken
traders at wet markets and even the
public to self-inspect chicken meat
to ensure that they are not selling or
consuming unsafe, antibiotic-laced
poultry products.
Apart from the low cost of
acquisition and quick results, the
simplicity of the testing procedure
and the foolproof digital display of the
results were key aims of the research
programme.
Health conscious consumers can
use the technology with a high level of
confidence as industry accepted results
can be obtained either at the point of
purchase or at home and this would
ensure that farmers and retailers do
not sell them chicken that do not comply
with health requirements.
The low cost of the technology can
allow it to be prevalent at all levels of
enforcement, from farms to points of
distribution to ports of entry and even
in markets and restaurants.
Compared to HPLC which can cost
over RM250,000 in terms of equipment
purchase alone, the immuno-gold
biostrip test package costs between
RM2,000 and RM2,500 and includes
100 biosensor strips which can last six
months if refrigerated at 4 oC.
While other available systems
require between one hour and two days
and expensive lab equipment to generate
results, the hand-held analyser of the
immuno-gold biosensor requires 200
seconds to present industry accepted
results.
The short time required can lead
to improved enforcement productivity
while the ease of use can reduce the
potential of results manipulation.
The system does not require
potentially harmful substances or
chemicals, which makes it safe for
everyone to use and disposal of the test
specimen a lot easier.
The immuno-gold biosensor will
be developed to detect other groups of
antibiotics and food contaminants in
the poultry industry to help increase
food safety levels and ensure the safety
of consumers in Malaysia and abroad.

10

Feb 2015

SUCCESS STORY

Production of Langkawi Special Organic Rice:

Experiences and Prospects

By: Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar
Rice and Industrial Crops Research Centre,
MARDI

he clea n a nd u npol luted

environment in the popular
tourist island of Langkawi and
the existing rice cultivation activities
is a combination well suited for growing
organic rice.
Currently, the island has 1,729
hectares of single-crop paddy. Although
the rice is grown inorganically, local
farmers are not in the habit of applying
high usage of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides.
Organic cultivation of rice was first
initiated at Kampung Ewa in 2005. The
site was chosen due to the availability of
unpolluted water from the neighbouring
hills and clean air that surrounds the
area.
The Langkawi Farmers Association
used MARDIs organic rice interim
technology to cultivate a special variety,
Maswangi, during the main season of
2005 on a three-hectare rice field in
Kampung Ewa.
The first harvest yielded 2.5 tonnes
per hectare. During the main season
of 2006, the cultivated area increased
to eight hectares while yield rose to
3.1 tonnes per hectare. In 2007, the
cultivation area grew to 25 hectares with
a yield of 2.8 tonnes per hectare.
It was proposed that organic rice
cultivation in Langkawi should be progressively increased until it exceeded
400 hectares in 2010.
Maswangi was selected for organic

rice cultivation because it does not

require high inputs and is resistant to
major pests and diseases.
Maswangi has a desirable aroma and
the milled rice can be sold at a high price
of RM5/kg or more.
Transplanting is the preferred
cultural practice of this single-crop
rice grown organically. Standing water
throughout the growing season helps to
minimise weed infestation.
Cattle grazing and green legume
cultivation during the off-season and
compost (4 t/ha) or other organic
fertilizer application during the main
season, maintained and improved the
soil fertility.
For pest and disease management,
organic insect repellants, such as neem,
BTO solution and Nature farming
solution were used.
An abundance of natural enemies
was found in the organic rice fields.
In postharvest straw management, no
burning of rice straw was practiced.
The proposed price of paddy grown
organically is RM1,900/tonne (excluding
price subsidy). This organic rice is
sold as white and brown rice, with the
brand name, Beras Langkawi Spesial
(Langkawi Special Rice).
Maswangi has low G.I. index which
helps to control blood sugar levels in
diabetic patients.
T he ric e i s a l so hig h i n
Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA),
which helps to relieve the person from
stress and anxiety. Since this organic
rice is available in one kilogram vacuum
packages, it is also suitable to be given
as a gift. It can be promoted as a product
of Langkawi agrotourism.

Variety Maswangi cultivated organically by PPK Langkawi in Kampung Ewa,

Langkawi.

Vacuum packed Beras Langkawi Special (organically grown)

Kampung Ewa, Langkawi, single crop rice area

Feb 2015

11

SUCCESS STORY

MARDIs Designer Eggs For

Health Enhancement

By: Wong Hee Kum and Mardhati

Mohammad, Strategic Livestock Research
Centre, MARDI

ublic interest and awareness in

healthier lifestyle, especially
related to chronic diseases and
ageing, has increased the demand for
functional foods, nutraceuticals and
designer foods.
This has resulted in the creation
of new foods in the marketplace.
When eaten regularly as part of a
normal diet, these foods can provide
a physiological or medical benefit by
regulating body functions to protect
against or retard the progression of
diseases.
In addition to new foods designed
speci f ica l ly to en hance hea lt h,
functional foods can also include
traditional, familiar foods which have
been highlighted to have new health
benefits by recent research findings.
For many years, researchers at the
Malaysian Agricultural Research and
Development Institute (MARDI) have
worked hard to develop new designer
eggs as functional foods knowing that
appropriate changes to layer diet can
inf luence deposition of certain key
nutrients in the eggs.
This information is relevant to the

Egg grading machine

egg industry today because consumers

are willing to pay a premium for
specialty food products that have
enhanced nutritional value.
F o r ei g n e x p e r t s c a m e t o
Malaysia since late 1994 and 1995 to
discuss licensing or promote their
technologies to local egg producers.
However, the cost of licensing or
royalties was very expensive and
the conditions required were very
stringent.
In fact, an inventor of the Canadian
designer eggs came to MARDI and
expressed i nterest i n licensi ng
the technologies to local producers
but as indicated earlier, the cost of
technology acquisition was expensive.
Therefore, MARDI with funds
supported by IRPA from 1996-1998
under the Food design and safety
programme, embarked on the pathway
towards developing our own specialty
eggs with a grant of RM101,936.00.
The core process involved the
production of high levels of Omega-3
fatty acids (ALA and DHA in eggs)
usi ng t he com mercia l cor n-soy
layer feed, maintaining least cost
formulation and a balanced diet
to meet the layers daily nutrient
requirements without negative side
effects to the layer.
T h i s t e ch nolo g y h a s b e e n
successfully evaluated on a laboratory

scale involving 500 layers producing

400-450 eggs per day.
Subsequently, a new formulation
with the inclusion of vitamin E to
stabilise the highly polyunsaturated
fats in the eggs was introduced.
In 1999 and 2002, MARDITECH
Corporation, a subsidiary of MARDI,
successfully licensed out two of
these technologies, omega-3 egg
and selenium egg, to a leading egg
producer, LTK (Melaka) Sdn. Bhd.
in Malaysia for commercialisation
purposes. These eggs have similar
appearances, taste, storage quality
and cooking versatility as regular
eggs and they are the results of work
done by researchers at the Strategic
Livestock Research Centre, MARDI.
The company has thus taken up the
technologies and currently markets
these products, which shows that it
is possible to create a differentiated
product with its own niche market.
Omega eggs are sold under LTK
Omega Plus while selenium eggs are
sold under LTK Organic Selenium
Plus. Omega Plus Egg was the first
ever designer egg produced in the
country.
At present, designer eggs make
up about 5% of the total market
in developed countries, and it is
estimated that the demand in Malaysia
can also increase to this level.

B ot h pr o duc t s a r e a l r e ady
penetrating the local and international markets and exported to other
countries under the Telur Emas brand.
Egg production is around 200,000
- 250,000 per day and currently, it is
estimated that 500 million has already
been sold in local and international
markets. The initial investment was
valued at RM18 million.
Omega Plus eggs can contain up to
5 times more omega-3 polyunsaturated
fatty acids and 4 times more vitamin
E than regular eggs. The consumption
of Omega 3 has been claimed to
reduce heart disease, hypertension,
LDL cholesterol, breast cancer, colon
cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.
In addition, Omega 3 is vital for the
development of brain and retina
tissues.
Selenium and vitamin E content
in Selenium Plus eggs is up to 5 and
10 times more than regular eggs
respectively. Selenium is a trace
element that is essential in small
amounts in the human body and is
best known as an antioxidant for its
role in fertility and prevention against
various forms of cancer. Poultry
nutritionists have also reported
that supplementing chickens diets
with selenium may help reduce the
mutation of bird inf luenza viruses.

Parameter

Omega-3

Regular

Energy (kcal)

74.2

75.0

Protein (g)

6.00

6.00

Total Fat (g)

5.10

5.20

Saturated Fat (g)

1.25

1.35

Monounsaturated Fat (g) 1.60

1.73

Polyunsaturated Fat (g)

1.10

0.79

Total Omega-6 (mg)

790

725

Total Omega-3 (mg)

320

63

w-3 a-Linolenic Acid (mg) 236

29

w-3 PA+DPA+DHA (mg)

84

34

Total Vitamin-E (mg)

2.7

0.68

Nutritional information of Omega Plus Egg

12

Feb 2015

EVENTS

MAHA 2014

By: Dr. Mohd Roff Mohamad Noor &

Khairul Fithri Abdul Rashid
Strategic Planning and Innovation
Management Division, MARDI

alaysia Agriculture, Horticultureand Agro-tourism Show 2014

(MAHA 2014) was successfully
held from 20-30 November at Malaysia
Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS),
Selangor.
The theme, Agrotechnology
Catalyst for Transformation, was in
alignment with the governments
aspiration of turning the agricultural
sector, especially agro-food, into one of

the catalysts for the nations economy as

well as peoples prosperity.
MAHA 2014 kicked-off with the
Trade-Days event on 20th November
before it was officially launched by Prime
Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Haji Abdul
Razak on November 22.
The exhibition attracted many
participants from the public and private
sectors as well as international companies
to exhibit products, technologies, and
innovation related to agriculture.
This contributed to the record sales
of RM152.5 millions, in which RM52.5
millions came from direct selling while
others from loans and bank transactions.
Business matching was valued at RM179.2

millions.
More than 2,000 booths were
prepared and about 1,100 exhibitors took
part in various segments. Participants
from the ministry, various departments
and government agencies were placed
in Hall A.
International participants and local
companies were placed in Hall C, while
Small and Medium Enterprises (SME),
the State Pavillions, the Laman, and the
Malaysian Popular Dish segment were
placed in Hall D.
Conferences were also held at Hall
D, covering issues like increasing export,
business opportunities and domestic
market for agro-food and agro-based

MARDIS INNOVATION DAY

Secretary General of the MoA visiting MSTE booth

By: Jurina Jaafar
Strategic Planning and Innovation
Management Division, MARDI

ARDIs Innovation Day or

Hari Inovasi MARDI is an
annual f lagship event since
2005 comprising different programmes
such as MARDI Science and Technology
Exhibition (MSTE), MARDI Innovation

Awards and Innovation Seminar.

The event is a platform for MARDI
researchers and support staff to exhibit
their latest findings or inventions by
competing for MSTE innovation awards
and for recognising those who have
succeeded in their research or won
medals and awards at local and international innovation competitions.
The events reinforce the importance
of innovation culture among MARDIans
involved in research and development,

technology transfer and operations.

MARDIs Innovation Day 2014
was held at Hall D, Malaysia Agro
Exhibition Park Serdang (MAEPS) from
November 3 to 5, 2014 with the theme
Driving Peoples Economy Through
Innovation.
The event included the ninth edition
of MSTE , the first MARDI Grassroots
Innovation Awards, MARDI Innovation
Awards, Plenary Talk and a 360
Dialogue with the Director General.
The plenary lecture was delivered
by Datuk Mohd Arif Abdul Rahman,
Secretary General of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry,
who highlighted the importance of
innovation and how it can contribute
to the nation.
The MARDI Science and Technology
Exhibition (MSTE) 2014 comprises the
knowledge and innovation categories
and they are in turn divided into seven
clusters of research areas.
The event attracted 106 participants
from the knowledge category and 59
from the innovation category. Out of 59
entries from the innovation category,
10 researchers won gold medals, 30

industries. About 40 papers were

presented during MAHA 2014 conference
event.
MAHA 2014 recorded 3.1 million
visitors during its 11 days of exhibition.
During this time, 9 Memorandums
of Understanding/Agreements were
exchanged between government
agencies and 7 local and 2 international
companies.
During the closing ceremony, Tan
Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin, the Deputy
Prime Minister of Malaysia, presented
11 awards to various agencies as an
appreciation of their efforts in MAHA
2014.

took home silver and 14 were awarded

bronze.
The knowledge category handed
11 gold, 36 silver and 34 bronze to the
winners.
MSTE 2014 offered two Special
Awards for both categories which were
Overall Award and Young Scientist
Award. Three other special awards
were also offered, i.e. Most Innovative
Product Award, Most Significant
Knowledge Award and Best of The Best
Award.
The Biotechnology Research Centre
was awarded a Director General Special
Award for their commitment in the
MSTE 2014.
The MARDI Grassroots Innovation
Award received 20 entries and it was
the first innovation competition held
for supporting staff. The best 3 winners
were given a trophy, certificate and a
cash prize.
The MARDI Innovation Awards
are opened to all sectors; technology
transfer and commercialisation,
research centres and operational. All
winners received trophies, certificates
and cash prizes.

MALAYSIAN AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE (MAgIC) 2014

By: Jurina Jaafar

Strategic Planning and Innovation
Management Division, MARDI

alaysian Agricultural Innovation

Challenge (MAgIC) 2014 was
Malaysias first agriculture and
agro-based industry innovation competition
and exhibition. It was held at the Malaysia
Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS)
from 6 to 8 November 2014.

It was organised by the Ministry of

Agriculture and Agro-based Industry
(MoA) and jointly managed by the Malaysian
Argriculture Research and Development
Institute (MARDI) and the Malaysian
Association of Research Scientists (MARS).
Entry was opened to all universities,
government agencies, private sector
companies, individuals, colleges,
polytechnics and schools. The event attracted
10 universities, 6 government agencies, 6
private sector companies, 2 individuals, 3

secondary schools, 1 polytechnic, 1 college

and 1 primary school.
A total of 205 entries took part and 33
golds, 49 silvers and 92 bronzes with 7 special
awards were presented to winners. MARDI
submitted 135 entries out of which 16 won
gold medals, 30 took home silver and 70 were
awarded bronze while one received a special
award.
The participation also included 10
Technofund projects which were funded by
MoA.
An invention of High-caffeic Acid Drink
From Misai Kucing, Orthosiphon Stamenius,
by Dr. Suri bin Roowi was offered the Best
Innovative Product Award.
Associate Professor Dr. Azura Amid
from the International Islamic University
Malaysia (IIUM) was awarded MAgIC of the
Year Award for her invention of Pre-Commercialisation of Recombinant Bromelain For
Industrial Usage. The project was a collaboration between IIUM and Rauhon Engineering
Sdn. Bhd.
The Solar Grass Mower by Norshila
Abu Bakar from the Sultan Abdul Halim
Mudzam Shah Polytechnic, Jitra, was
awarded the MAgIC Promising Innovator
Award.
All Cosmos Green Technology Award

was given to Professor Dr. Wan Azlina

binti Ahmad from Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia (UTM) for her Technofund project
entitled Environmental Friendly Bacterial
Pigments - Large Scale Production Utilising
Agricultural Wastes And Its Application In
Biodegradable Plastic and Food Packaging.
This collaboration project with Free The Seed
Sdn. Bhd. also received a RM1,000.00 cash
prize.
The BASF Food Security Award of
RM,1000.00 cash prize was awarded to Dr.
Mohd Zamani bin Ngali from Universiti
Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) for his
invention of the Granular Fertilizer Boom
Sprayer Distribution Transient Simulator.
The Malaysian Association of Research
Scientists (MARS) also sponsored 2 awards
under different categories which were MARS
Award for School Category and MARS Award
for College and Polytechnics Category.
The awards came with a RM500.00 cash
prize for each category and were awarded
to Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Hj
Ahmad Shah Kuantan and Kolej Vokasional
Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan.
MAgIC will become an annual event
that highlights innovations in agriculture
and is eagerly awaited by the inventor and
innovator in the related field.