actually you can try some local fertiliser.
they are much cheaper and we have capable producers.

this month's AgroWorld has a few potential suppliers.

Oh yes am going to call that two liquid fertilizer supplier real soon

Meanwhile, still looking for land. As well as trying to solve my transportation problem to enable me to be more accessible to further lands.

Yeah, im getting a moto. I am not going to burn half a condo every month with my car! And once i started my farm project, its either do or die! So I am trying to be very cost concious here.

if you are interested let me know...
i can let you know the supplier for Lagenda Maju BioTop Fertiliser.

Hope for 'kelah' as history is made
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Fri...icle/index_html


The first batch of 250 Malayan Masheer hatchlings or the majestic iikan kelah was bred in captivity.


The RM3.7 million hatchery is modelled on those in India, Thailand and the Netherlands.

========================================================================

RAUB: History was made at the RM3.7 million hatchery at Kampung Ulu Sungai here when the first batch of 250 Malayan Masheer hatchlings (Tor tambriodes) or ikan kelah was bred in captivity.

At 60 days old, the fry are reported to be in good health and growing under a controlled environment.

The result came from the research and work by aquaculturist Ng Chee Kiat, who published a book on the freshwater species titled King of the Rivers three years ago.

The 46-year-old said his project was self-funded and took shape last December.

To enable captive breeding of the Malayan Masheer, Ng had sourced for a large quantity of brood stock across Peninsular Malaysia.
"I built a hatchery complex to house mature fish stock aged one and above because these are fish that have reached maturity and are the right age for their reproduction cycle. I acquired more than 200 specimens."

For location, Kampung Ulu Sungai was the first choice for its good quality water.

Ng modelled the hatchery on facilities he had visited in India, Thailand and the Netherlands.

"India has been successful in breeding the Indian Masheer.

"And much of the technical aspect of my hatchery was adapted from the Netherlands where technology is incorporated into breeding species like the trout."

He said the adult fishes (70 per cent of his brood stock are female) were ready for breeding in March.

To harvest the eggs, he used a synthetic hormone and milked the sperm from the male Masheer to carry out artificial fertilisation.

Larvae development takes shape in 72 hours. But his first attempt to breed it ended in failure. In his second attempt, he came close to accomplishing his goal, but the hatchlings turned out to be deformed.

According to him, the paired brood stock had not reached its mature age. And instead of destroying the deformed fry, he kept six surviving hatchlings.

In September, the fish larvaes hatched with a clean bill of health.

"It was just a matter of time. I am happy with the results and, with this achievement, we can now breed the Masheer at any time."

He said since the species was also a biological indicator of the health of the country's rivers, it was imperative that efforts be made to conserve the fish.

The Masheer, which is found in Indonesia, Thailand and Indochina, can only survive in water that is high in dissolved oxygen.

"Ikan kelah needs fast-flowing water. It will die if there is insufficient oxygen and if the water quality is poor. On the average, the species spawns only twice a year. One flaw in this fish breed is its slow growth rate and reproduction cycle."

The Masheer is also threatened by the decline of its natural habitat and overfishing due to the demand for premium freshwater fish at restaurants.

Ng cited one example in Sarawak where a large specimen was landed and sold for more than RM9,000. Such demand has also threatened ikan kelah, which can fetch up to RM450 per kg.

"It is no secret that large quantities of the Masheer were harvested from the wild and ended up on dining tables. And if no one puts a stop to this, the species is doomed."

Captive breeding of the Masheer, he said, provided a chance to restock the species in the wild. He said he hoped that in five years, his hatchery could produce enough hatchlings for conservation.

He said there were efforts to save the Masheer.

At Kem Melantai in Taman Negara, a part of Sungai Tahan has been closed to fishing to breed the Masheer in its natural habitat.

"With a stable brood stock and a well-conditioned number of fishes, I can breed the Masheer all year round. This means that their fry can be made available on demand. Rivers can be restocked faster than the fish's reproductive cycle."

He said the Masheer was not an easy fish to breed in captivity due to its slower larvae development period.

An average commercial freshwater fish like the tilapia or grass carp takes fewer than 24 hours to hatch after fertilisation.

"The fish thrives in cooler temperature and in conditions where water quality is rich with dissolved oxygen. One of the drawbacks of the young hatchlings is that their parents are not around to care for them."

The omnivorous Masheer feeds on aquatic plant and fruits and has a life expectancy of 30 years.

Asked what he planned to do with the first batch of hatchlings, he said the fry would be kept under close watch.

"Now that I have stabilised the first generation of captive-bred Masheer, my goal is to condition them for spawning and hopefully, we will have a steady supply in the future."

Australian rookie goes into seabass farming

http://www.nstp.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sa...icle/index_html

MARANG: He knew next to nothing about rearing seabass but that didn't stop Mohd Izlan @ Ivan Passtell from taking the plunge anyway.
The 56-year-old Australian, who has made Malaysia his home for the past 24 years, set up a seabass farm at Kampung Pasir Puteh in Merchang five months ago.

He said it was enough to know that he and his 61-year-old wife Zaleha Hassan liked to eat fish.

Mohd Izlan said he and his Selangor-born wife had fallen in love with Merchang and had bought a beach frontage property three years ago.

"We stumbled upon it by chance when we made a stop at a local bakery for a loaf of bread.
"We saw a land-for-sale sign posted not too far away by the roadside.

"One thing led to another and three years later, with a house almost completed and a fish farm fully operational, we are now proud to call Merchang home," he said.

Mohd Izlan who previously worked in the timber industry, said he would not have been so quick to invest RM150,000 without advice from seabass expert Patrick Lee, who runs a hatchery and nursery nearby.

Mohd Izlan said it was simple mathematics. After paying less than RM1 for each fish, he can sell the fully grown 500-gramme to 1kg fish for a minimum of RM10 each.

"At the moment, I'm not going to worry about spawning, larval rearing or producing fry.

"I'm getting 5cm to 7cm long fish from Patrick.

"I now have about 12,000 fish in my 12 polyethelyne tanks and it takes between three and five months for them to be ready for market," he said.

"The trick is to keep the fish alive and well.

"Thus far, I have managed to maintain a more than 95 per cent survival rate.

"I have learned that cleanliness is everything in fish farming. I change the water in my tanks every day and I avoid using chemicals," he said.

Lee said such controlled fish farming was better than the more common method of raising seabass in cages in a natural body of water.

"Of course it's a lot cheaper to raise seabass in cages and let nature take its course, but the farmers are lucky to have a 50 per cent survival rate."

In the meantime, Mohd Izlan said that judging by the current progress, his first harvest next month could be bountiful enough to offset a big chunk of his initial investment.

LOANS,SEMINAR/COURSES,PROMOTION ETC

I work for the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development under 'ekonomi desa'. Anyone who's interested to start a business(Agriculture,food processing,tourism,cyber cafe,doby and much more), we could help you. Our services include loans (Up to RM500k),seminars and courses,marketing and so on. But for BUMIS only. Check out our website at www.rurallink.gov.my for more information.

Thanks for the information.

When you mention courses, do you mean agricultural training courses or how-to-make-banana-chip or both? If possible, can you provide me some contacts regarding agricultural training courses, particularily vegetable and short term course? I am not a bumi thou but I am the type who able to affort some school fee.

Some reports in newspaper said SME loans for all race? Or this loan is another type?

brother this is not SME loan. this is Min of Rural development. so its different.

Actually we cooperate with SME bank and Bank Rakyat. The loan will be provided by them with low interest.

This post has been edited by amirbashah: Dec 17 2007, 02:49 PM

yeah i know but this funding is NOT for SME. and moreover your criteria clearly states that BUMI only.

where are you stationed ?
in Putrajaya ?

Yup, Putrajaya.

Tell me about your training, is it organized by your own people in the same department, or it is outsourced?

If it is outsourced to another training party to conduct the training, you should have some contacts. Unless you say they are only focus on taking gov project.

Anyhow, thanks for the suggestion, I gotta go MOA sooner or later.

There will be a lot of training next year. Most of them consist of agriculture,homestay,business and so on.The training will be outsourced of course.Actually I don't handle training and furthermore I just started working. I will try to look for the contacts and give it to you later. Good luck with your business.

Where are the courses conducted, how much and duration for each course? I looked up the KKLW website but it was in 2007 training calendar.

This post has been edited by zolarius: Dec 28 2007, 04:10 PM

I think you better call the officer in charge of the training.And please don't mention my name

This post has been edited by amirbashah: Dec 28 2007, 04:21 PM

hi guys, I had open a thread in finance and investment forum regarding my interest in mid scale duck rearing, can any one give any advice on this industry?

few things I would like to know are:
1. is this business profitable?
2. how's the market in duck meat & duck eggs? is it in high demand?
3.is the profit margin high or low?
4. do we need license? and whar r they?

any advices would be much appreciated, thank you

i remembered last time got news in Buletin Utama TV3 about one duck farm i forgot where.. but one thing for sure is that it has run years already n getting bigger..

about license.. i think need kot.. better ask ur local PBT..

This post has been edited by hmspower: Dec 30 2007, 12:06 PM

http://biz.thestar.com.my/bizweek/story.as...279&sec=bizweek

Xian Leng shows that ornamental fish is big business

AT one time or another, most of us have kept fish at home, ranging from the nondescript varieties caught in ditches to prized specimens whose cost may take a chunk out of our monthly salaries. It is a common hobby, and as often is the case, one man's hobby is another man's business.

In fact, the ornamental fish sector is a huge one globally. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) describes it as "a widespread and global component of international trade, fisheries, aquaculture and development".

It says: "The entire industry, when non-exported product, wages, retail sales and associated materials are considered, has been estimated to be worth US$15bil."

Tan: About 80% to 85% of our production goes to Singapore for re-export
For an idea of the breadth of the industry, consider Netherlands-based Ornamental Fish International, a worldwide trade association that claims to represent all sectors of the ornamental aquatic industry in some 40 countries.

On its membership roll are consultants, manufacturers, publishers, wholesalers, collectors, breeders, retailers, importers, exporters, plant specialists, freight forwarders, airlines and exhibition companies.

The biggest market is the United States, with about 10% of its households keeping ornamental fish. The other major export destinations are Japan and the European Union. But what is intriguing is that many of the fish comes from this part of the world.

Malaysia is the world's No.1 producer and second largest exporter of ornamental fish. The country's leadership position in production is significant because more than 90% of freshwater ornamental fish are captive bred.

"Not many people know this," says Xian Leng Holdings Bhd executive director Tan Cheng Kiat. "Singapore is the top exporter. About 80% to 85% of our production goes to Singapore for re-export." Singapore is said to be strong in the export market largely because it has more air connections and its government is more facilitative.

However, these advantages may not be enough to keep Singapore in the lead for very long. Tan, who is a former deputy director-general of the Department of Fisheries Malaysia, applauds the Government's efforts in expanding Malaysia's production and exports of ornamental fish.

For one thing, the industry offers a lot of potential. "It's a huge field to go into. There are 500 to 600 varieties of ornamental fish. There's no way anybody can produce them all," he says.

"And it's a growing hobby. As countries develop, the people will need more recreational activities. Keeping fish is easy to do and it brings out good qualities such as gentleness and caring. It helps develop character in children. And it's good for stress relief."

Tan believes that there is nothing to stop Malaysia from taking on a bigger slice of the global business if the right strategies are adopted. "It is a young industry. There's a lot of growth ahead. Malaysia is a tropical country and we can produce year-round," he points out.

"We have breeders in Penang who are are world-famous for their discus, and there are those in Ipoh who have specialised in koi and goldfish. That kind of expertise exists in this country. It can be done."

Xian Leng's breeding ponds in Batu Pahat
The Ninth Malaysia Plan, spanning 2006 to 2010, targets 21.5% growth for aquaculture, as compared with the 8.3% recorded during the previous five years. Ornamental fish is part of the focus, and the aim is to increase production from 456 million tails to 800 million tails.

A pivotal move was the decision to allocate 39 Aquaculture Industry Zones (AIZs) and to provide the necessary infrastructure and support services for the development of the sector.

Last October, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said these AIZs require RM2bil in investments and would be opened to local and foreign investor in 2008. He added that his ministry has identified 25,000ha of land throughout the country for the AIZs.

This is important, Tan says, because land is a necessary for fish breeders to operate. "There is no shortage of investors if there is land," he adds.

In a speech in London last July, Muhyiddin said, "We target that by 2010, we will produce 603,530 tonnes of fish with a value of RM4.02bil. Indeed, there is immense potential for investment in this sector especially for high-tech and capital-intensive aquaculture projects such as shrimp and fish projects."

He added, "We have created zoning systems for the export-oriented industry in ornamental fish and aquatic plants. Currently the industry places its main focus on high-value species such as the Arowana and Discus fishes. Britain's expertise in the production in these species would be of great advantage for profitable joint ventures."

Tan agrees that know-how is a crucial ingredient in the ornamental fish industry. "You must have the technology. We are dealing with live fish. Anything dead has no value," he explains.

Anybody who doubts that that the ornamental fish industry can be big business should take a look at Xian Leng, a breeder and supplier of Asian Arowana and other ornamental fish. The company was listed on the second board of Bursa Malaysia in December 2001 and transferred to the main board in September 2003.

Currently, the industry places its main focus on high-value species such as the Arowana
Its major achievement was to be the first Asian company to secure Cites (Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species) registration, permitting the trading of the Asian Arowana. The company is also a pioneer in the creation of new Asian Arowana variants.

It received the KPMG Shareholders' Value Award in 2004 and the stock was an analyst favourite at one time. Price competition in recent years has been a challenge for the company, but that underscores the fact that the attractiveness of the industry has drawn in more players.

It also means that investors in the sector must have airtight game plans and strong execution skills to ensure success in the field.

Duck investment thread

Duck meat as well as goose meat is rated as one of the healthiest meat, as their fat content is similar to the fat from olive oil. We can find duck eggs and duck egg yolks in a lot of deliciacy.

I do have two articles about ducks from AgriWorld Magazine. One is able a guy rearing ducks in his jambu estate and use his duck manure as quality fertilizer and produce high quality fruit. Another one is rearing duck in large scale and produce salted duck eggs.

If i have the time to translate them, i will edit this post to post them - just to keep this thread clean and informative.

1. is this business profitable?
You need to have a proper scale in everything to build a profitable business of course. Overall, duck market is a lot smaller then chicken, however, duck price is not regulated like chicken, and it is influenced by demand. But since not many people rearing duck, you can create your own market and once you did it, you will find not many competition.

Yes, ducks can live in near a pond and look for food themselves, but to achieve balanced growth and high production, you still has to feed them. Duck favourite natural food is snail, leech, small fish, etc. Sometimes padi field rearing ducks so they can help to control snail pest.

2. how's the market in duck meat & duck eggs? is it in high demand?
Duck meat market is a lot smaller then chicken, how often you buy a fresh duck and cook for dinner? How often you find duck meat in Malay nasi campur? However, duck egg has a higher demand, everybody eat salty egg, malay, chinese, indian, sick people...

For meat duck sales, you can go for those restaurants, roast duck stall, etc. Comsumer market for fresh ducks is quite small.

3.is the profit margin high or low?
I dont hv relevent statistic in hand now. Anyhow, profit is up to your marketing/business skill. Cost control is very important, which is a thing that you will learn thru experience. It is even more important nowadays as all the raw material raise price like mad, corn meal which act as main ingrediant in poultry feed has more then doubled its price in the pass one year.

4. do we need license? and whar r they?
As far as i know, we only need permit to rear pigs. Ducks, i think you can think about registering a company for this purpose, or just do it privately. Not too sure thou.

This post has been edited by rexis: Jan 3 2008, 11:29 AM

Does anyone here have any information on herbs (Tongkat Ali, Kacip Fatimah etc). Just want to know more on this particular plant. Can herbs for example Tongkat Ali fetch a huge price in the market? Just want to diversify my portfolio (Plants). Do provide me more information. Thanks.