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 Venturing into Agriculture & Aquaculture, Co-Ordination & Implementation is KEY

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TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:14 PM, updated 11y ago

Planter - Durian, Jackfruit, Papaya
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From: Ch3r@s



Hello People,

we are proud to inform that a bunch of us (you guys know who you are) had just finished publishing an Agri & Aqua Culturing Newsletter.

its available for download for FREE

Latest Edition :

December 2013 (Quarterly) Newsletter

September 2013 (Quarterly) Newsletter

June 2013 (Quarterly) Newsletter

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «



Cheers and Download away.

Thanks

ParaOptical aka Johnny

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Here is the list of public training courses offered by the respective Jabatan Pertanian :-

a) Negeri Sembilan :- http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?074its71s10mzm5

b) Melaka :- http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?hr6iu9zd44284fe

c) Johor :- http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?e7d9ymqqc9raaxy

d) Perak :- http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?btsvcbkp3m6a46n



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Year 2012 Plans

http://forum.lowyat.net/user/MrFarmer

Planning my strategy for year 2012.
Looking at crops with minimal care
Short Term crops
Field Corns
Groundnuts
Pumpkins/Winter Melon
Sweet Potatoes

Mid Term crops
Bananas
Yam (for area prone to floods)



http://forum.lowyat.net/user/ParaOpticaL

My Focus & Strategy for 2013 is as follows :-

12ac :-
Finish planting the below
- Nangka (80%) - Well on track to fruit by end of the year (The tree fruited around the 18th month which i will post pictures later but because the tree not big enough thus added fertiliser and delay fruiting till after CNY 2014)
- Banana - Once finish harvesting TOTAL REMOVAL
- Papaya - Intercropping (Will remove as my Nangka are progressing very well)
- Durian (20%)


5ac :-
Planning to start a 1 acre papaya intercrop with durian planting before going full scale. (Changed to 1/2 acre Papaya + Durian & 1/2 acre Papaya + Soursop)



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

[color=blue]"Hotlinks" for this thread! Click the small arrows.

- Planting Material Supplier *
- Quoted question "basics to clear lands" *
- A little bit about short, mid and long term crops *
- Comments about automated farming machine *
- Official job in clearing land *
- a sea fish seed supplier joined the discussion! *
- something about grass farming *
- Agriculture Diploma Programme! *

Articles
- Haruan fish breeding and raising *
- Soon Hock fish breeding and raising *




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This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Dec 27 2013, 01:14 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:15 PM

Planter - Durian, Jackfruit, Papaya
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From: Ch3r@s



About the previous thread starter. REXIS

QUOTE(rexis @ Sep 27 2006, 09:28 AM)
Woke up at 6am, mindlessly finish your washroom work, dress up, even thou you feel like taking another 3 hours nap. You rush a cup of caffeine down your throat, finally gaining some conciousness, and head to your vehicle to go to work.

You hit the road, right at the end of the junction, great traffic jams ahead. Despite feeling more and more impatient, and worried about getting late again. Yeah, late, and you will get the wrath of boss, the one who seem like staying in office, and always guarding the office front door for anyone come late. OMG, you finally found the source of this unusual jam! It a chain accident involved multiple car...

...after a good 30 minutes lecture from your boss, you heading to your office desk, with a huge pile of ducuments on top of it, before you even seat down, your office phone rang furiously, you picked up the phone, a sharp tone cut thru the air and arrived your ear drum in supersonic speed. You mindlessly say ok, ok, ok, yes, I will...

The wall clock seem broken and damaged significantly, or just the battery is too weak, it took forever to reach the number 5. Suddently the zombies all received new life, all jumped up and rush to the car park, getting their own vehicles. You did the same, while you entering your vehicle, you look at the aging on your vehicle, and realised that its been too long since you gave your beloved ride a good shower. With the doubts in your mind, you get into your ride, and headed to another endless wave of traffic jams....

Deep inside youself, you wanted to make a change, to get out of this robotic chain. You have the love to green stuff and fresh air. You want to make a living with your own hand.

tbc...

btw, something about the author/thread starter
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «


*
This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Jan 26 2007, 02:57 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:15 PM

Planter - Durian, Jackfruit, Papaya
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yukikaze,Oct 11 2006, 06:06 PM

Interested parties could contact me for info. [ 016-5641853 ]
(please call after 7,i have classes during day)

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

Okay,i'm pretty sure that rexis and ParaOptical got the info above.
Like what rexis has posted,all the hard works require for farming are pain in the ass for those who's not used to those kampung type of life,what my product is trying to aim is to reduce the work and optimise the result.
Get what i mean?
High water absorbancy,one week you'll just have to water once.
Compare to using sand which sometimes you have to control the PH level and humidity which sometimes may causes bad crops.Right?
In short,i'm trying to bring some advancement to the traditional farming.
The products is more to a package,
-it's filled with fertilizer
-small size just like the construction bricks (compare to bags of sands which may used up alot of spaces)
-Nature friendly(recycle-able) which is now in the trend where you can sell them to those recycle factory and get some money back
-Free from weeds,which is the pesky thing one wouldnt want in your farm.
-one brick could expand up to 9-10 liters
above is what i'm trying to elaborate the description and info i had gather from my supplier.
you may use it to nurse the seeds to grow and etc that you could think of.
if you need a sample,i would be glad to send you one just to let you see how it works.

i'm staying at ipoh =)

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Jan 26 2007, 09:06 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:16 PM

Planter - Durian, Jackfruit, Papaya
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rexis,Oct 12 2006, 03:33 PM

I might not be accurate as i never do it before, but according to what I know...

Chop off all the original vegetations like tall grass, small trees, bush etc. You can rent some tractor to do the job for you, there are people doing this charging a package fees. In my hometown, it is possible to hire cheap indon labours to do the job for you. To use manpower or machinepower, depends, sometimes one is better then another, in short manpower is cheaper but need longer time, machinepower is expensive but faster, it is up to you to balance the bill. (This also apply to all farm job, you just cant do everything yourself rite?)

Then turn the soil, and leave it under the hot sun for bout 2 weeks to eliminate pest and diseases. You can use the most traditional method like cangkul + kerbau to turn the soil, but we usually rent those machine to do the job. The dept of agriculture might have a clue about where to rent these machine, otherwise, your land lord might have some friends doing this.

It is recommended to leave the land under strong sunlight for 2 weeks to eliminate pest, during this time, some farmers will spray pesticide on the soil as well, this is up to you, as you see, pesticide overdosage is certainly not a good thing as it might kill all the good things as well. If possible dont use chemical pesticide, there are natural pesticide to use.(I am not quite sure how pesticide works but have my own untested opinions on it, i prefer to go organic)

(While you turn the soil, you can first prepare a small area as young plant nursary, you will need some shade as direct sunlight might damage young plant. Some planting material like what yukikaze mentioned is very handy. Start preparing the planting meterial now, ie, plant the seed and let it germinate into small plant, after your land is prepared you can straight away plant your crops.)

After 2 weeks of sunlights, you can start put in the fertilizer, now this is depends on what type of fertilizer you used. If you use fresh chicken sh!t, you will have to leave it for another 2 weeks to allow the sh!t decayed into plant nutrient otherwise the sh!t will carry diseases and also not suitable for plants. This chicken goodies is known as base fertilizer, ie you put them in before planting your crops.

And then, you can start to plant your small crop plants in you farm! Arrange it properly to allow easy harvesting. Usually people will make a "mud box"(or rows of small hills) and plant the crops on top of the box, this enable more loosy soil for better root development. Also do not plant your crops too close together as this will affect photosynthesis, pollenation, competition, etc. There should be a guideline for each kind of crops.

For the fertilizers, use organic fertilizer regularily, eg fermented chicken sh!t every 2 weeks, and use chemical fertilizer according to situation, like if it is flowering, fruiting, leaves yellow.... etc. Because even thou organic fertilizer are better in the long run, chemical fertilizer react faster as it can be absorb immediately. Even thou chemical fertilizer contains everything a plant need and do not require that many comparing to organic fertilizer, note that a heavily chemical fertilized soil is as good as dead soil, while organic fertilizer can keep your soil alive.

Thats it! Seem like you can start plant your crops now! And I am sure you will find out more details in the process of working out your farm.


This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Jan 26 2007, 03:01 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:16 PM

Planter - Durian, Jackfruit, Papaya
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rexis,Oct 19 2006, 11:54 AM


a) Short (1-3 mths)
Vegetable, jagung, etc.

b) Medium (3-9 mths)
Timun, bitter gourd, brinjal, lady's fingers, chily, you name it.

c) Long (12 mths and above)
Red pitaya(this is the hottest one covering several episod), papaya, all kind of fruit trees, the current one mentioned about star fruit.

I read somewhere that it even suggest you to rear kampung chicken among your crops to improve profit and free organic fertilizer(chicken pop).

How fast could you get your land ready for planting? Anyway, you wont be able to catch up with the CNY holiday(as the schedule is pretty tight you have to start planting them NOW) where demand is the greatest, especially for brinjal and bitter gourd.

However, planting vegetable to meet demand for CNY might make sense, meeting up seasonal demand is the way to go as you usually get better price due to festival demand. I will say plant some mid term crop and while waiting it grows busy yourself with some vegetable. Didnt study much about vegetable thou but I think they are pretty straight forward.

Anyway, even thou our gov website is pretty, it do provide some useful information, check the following link:
http://agrolink.moa.my/doa/bdc/

Pick your favourite crop here thumbup.gif

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Jan 26 2007, 03:02 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:17 PM

Planter - Durian, Jackfruit, Papaya
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pacer,Oct 31 2006, 11:41 PM

bro, u serious ahh, have u even been to a farm?
u no need do work also need a bit manual labour.
what about harvesting? at least need ppl to drive the truck. operate the machines.
what about acessing the plants, i think no maching can do that...

most probably machines can help in making life easier but U STILL NEED TO WORK. machines can only do so much, still need humans to work.

but maybe u have been watching discovery on how the japanese do it in their greenhouse. let me tell u, our country does not have the capacity to produce like that, even if we can, i think u wont want to pay rm15 for a banana or rm10 for 500g of kangkung

and also, machines are not as effective or fast and gentle enough to harvest some sensitive commodities.

fyi, even in developed countries, oranges and apples are hand picked although there are machines that can do it faster. why? becoz they also pick unripen fruites and can cost some major loses to farmers, on top of tht labour there is not cheap but justified when accounting the lost accured in using machines.

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Jan 26 2007, 03:03 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:17 PM

Planter - Durian, Jackfruit, Papaya
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ParaOpticaL,Nov 11 2006, 09:10 AM

i was referring to the steps to be taken.
you dont need govt approval to clear your land. just have a think for the environment and stuff.

1) need to survey the land (if its like a mini forest) and have the boundary pegged so you dont go into other people's land

2) get some advice from the dept of agriculture and what should be done (just for reference and to check)

3) bring people to quote on the land (backhoe or ploughing machine)

4) monitor them clearing the land.


This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Jan 26 2007, 03:04 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:18 PM

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questnetter,Nov 14 2006, 11:20 PM

I saw some posts earlier asking about fish breeding. Well, i am the supplier for live fish seeds and i have a lot to share.

Basically, my hatchery farm is located in Sandakan, Sabah. Has been venturing in seawater fish business for over 20 years and gained success in fish breeding activities for the past 10 years. Sales of fish varies from any sizes, either from eggs up to markettable sizes that you can see in seafood restaurants.

List of fish seedlings that are available throughout the whole year are:
1.Siakap (Sea-water type which taste better than those u see in TESCO)
2.Red Snapper (Ikan merah)
3.Green Snapper (Green type of ikan merah)
4.Tiger Grouper (Kerapu Harimau)
5.Giant Grouper (Keratang/Yellowish giant type of grouper/"Lung Dan" in Chinese)
6.Humpback Grouper (Kerapu Tikus)
7.7 Star Grouper (Kerapu Bintang/"Chat Sing Pan" in chinese)
8.A few more species which are not so consistent in producing eggs...

Usually, the popular orders will be of 1 inch to 3 inches of sizes. Quantity will be from 5k pieces to 100k pieces. We do export to Taiwan, Sarawak, West Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Labuan, and etc... Company name will be provided if required, definitely well known if u ask the fisheries department.

Interested to buy?survey?need help?bargain?visit?COD?
Feel free to email szuboon@yahoo.com or call 012-9319828 anytime. smile.gif


This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Jan 26 2007, 03:06 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:18 PM

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ParaOpticaL,Nov 16 2006, 09:00 AM


COW Grass is NOT those grasses for cow to feed on. its for those project or maybe fields where they place them one by one. if got opportunity i will take picture so you can know.

sure will keep the contacts.
they potong my leher i am going after them.

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Jan 26 2007, 03:06 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 02:19 PM

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ParaOpticaL,Nov 21 2006, 02:31 PM

Plantation Technology & Agro-Entrepreneurship
Introduction
This 12 - 15 month Executive Diploma programme is structured to improve skills and knowledge of participants in enhancing career development. The objective of the programme is to enable participants to manage their career more efficiently and effectively to increase productivity.
The Modules

1. Overview of Plantation Industry

2. Human Resource Management

3. Organizational Behaviour

4. Business Communication

5. Plant and Soil Sciences

6. Agronomic Practices and Operations

7. Integrated Pest and Disease Management

8. Sustainable Practices and Environmental Development

9. Integration and Entrepreneurship

10. Project Paper and Presentation

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Jan 26 2007, 03:07 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 03:08 PM

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rexis,Nov 23 2006, 11:49 AM

HARUAN FISH BREEDING

Since para mentioned to me that he is looking into fish breeding, I have translated some articles from the Agroworld Magazine. Hopefully its useful and readable.

Agroworld July 2006 issue

PKPS Bukit Tinggi Fishfarm Sdn Bhd industrial breeding and raising of Haluan fish has achived excellence result, and received good remarks from Dato Sri Abdullah Badawi. On PM recent visit to the fish farm, PM encouraged the company to explore and develop more down stream industry for the Haluan fish to produce Haluan fish products like smoked fish, fish essential drink, etc.

PKPS Bukit Tinggi Fishfarm Sdn Bhd is one of the destination for PM official visit to Selangor agriculture production areas. The Menteri Besar of Selangor is proud of PKPS Bukit Tinggi Fishfarm Sdn Bhd success on the Haluan fish and therefore name the fish as "Haluan Selangor", and the naming ceremony was officiated by PM.

On a land of 35 acres situated at Selangor Bukit Batu Arang, PKPS fresh water fish breeding center is promoting fresh water fish breeding. The company has offered training courses on fish breeding and raishing to train up fish breeders. PM hope that this center can train contract farmer and throught industrialized fish breeding contract to produce more Haluan, and the Haluan they produced will be purchased back by PKPS for down stream production.

PKPS successfully industrialized the breeding of Haluan fish, they are using 100% fish feed to grow best quality fish, and the process of looking for a better fish feed formula is still in progress.

90% of Haluan fish egg hatch rate

Other then Haluan, PKPS also supply a variaty of fresh water fist like bating.... etc. The fish farm manager Mr Kok said that they main business is producing Haluan fish seed, with average monthly production of 300,000 fish seeds. Mr Kok said that the species used by fish farm for breeding is a local species. The fish farm has some 2500 of female Haluan fish as breeder, and through hormone injection to stimulate egg production, the females will lay eggs after 24 hours of injection. Usually they will do the injection every three months, and each time on 25 female fish. Each female fish can produce 6000 eggs, and in each months there will be 75 fish undergo the hormone injection(or stimulate egg laying), therefore the fish farm will get 450,000 eggs monthly. And with the average of 90% hatching rate, they will get 400,000 fish seed monthly.

The fish seed will grow to 1/2 inch long 10 days after hatched, these 1/2 inch Haluan fish have a golden orange colour, in this period the fish seeds are being fed with Moina Microbes. When the fish seeds has grew to 1/2 inch long they will feed them with fish feed. The fish feed will be grounded into powder before feeding. After 15 more days, these 1/2 inch fish seeds will grow to 1 inch long.

They will start feeding the 1 inch fish seeds with raw fish feed. The colour of the fish seeds will turn from golden orange into black colour, and to grow from 1 inch to 2 inches long, they will need another 15 days as well. Mr Kok pointed out that this is a vital period and must ensure that the breeding management work is carried out properly, to make sure that the fish seeds can adapt to the fish feed, otherwise if the small fish dont adapt to the new food, they will attack each other if they are hungry, and thus affect the survivor rate of the fish seed.

Successful raised fish seed to 4.5 inches

It will take about 40 days for a newly hatched fish to grow to 2 inches long, and the survival rate usually as high as 98-99%. In this stage the fish seeds were usually kept in indoor concrete pools, after they reached 2 inches they will be transfered to out door pools.

The 2 inches fish seeds can already adapt to the fish feed, and after a month they will grow to 4-4.5 inches long, and are ready for sale as fish seed. Outdoor pool survival rate is not as high as indoor pool, but still as high as 80%. The whole fish farm will consume about 10,000 kg of variety of fish feed.

Mr Kok said that usually the fish seeds are not easy to grow to as big as 4.5 inches, but they successfully did it. The advantage of 4.5 inches fish seeds will have a higher survival rate, and have a very stable quality.

PKPS Bukit Tinggi Fishfarm Sdn Bhd is selling their fish seeds for RM0.50 each, the biggest market is in Johor and Kedah. If it is calculated in terms of 300,000 fish feed, the total cost of breeding, labour, and raw material cost around RM43,000, which avarage out as RM0.13 for each fish seeds, therefore they will have profit of RM0.37 for each fish seed. Of couse, they do not sell the entire 300,000 fish seeds in one batch, but in multiple seperate deals.

PKPS Bukit Tinggi Fishfarm Sdn Bhd breeding and training center have 90 fish pools of different size. Other then fresh water fish, recently they start breeding and raising fresh water long leg prawns(Udang Galah). The local recently are short of fresh water long leg prawn seeds and adult prawns.

(the fish farm have a small advertisement beside the article, PM me for the contacts and details)

Credits to: Agroworld Malaysia
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 26 2007, 03:14 PM

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rexis,Sep 27 2006, 10:16 AM

LAND Clearing
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «



A few things to think about before you decide to farm
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «



Planting mushroom or rearing snails is some example.
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There are long term crops and short term crops.
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Seem like the idea of agribusiness has attracted a few people.
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My CONSTRAINT
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cktwai
post Jan 26 2007, 04:55 PM

NaraPikamaru
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Thanks for the info... smile.gif

Para... lets meet up
SUSyukikaze
post Jan 26 2007, 06:41 PM

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Para could you put my number as well,so that interested parties could contact me for info.
016-5641853
(please call after 7,i have classes during day)

thank you

This post has been edited by yukikaze: Jan 26 2007, 06:41 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 29 2007, 08:49 AM

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Ex-engineer's hot success as chilli farmer

Source : The Star

By IAN MCINTYRE

PASIR PUTEH: He quit his job as an engineer to become a chilli farmer and 24-year-old Alamim Muhamad has yet to regret the decision.

"It started off as a hobby but after impressive sales of my chillies, I decided to resign from my engineering job and work on an abandoned plot to grow better crops," said Alamim, who has a degree in mechanical engineering.

With his determination to succeed, Alamim has shown that modern farming can indeed be a lucrative venture.

Met at his village in Gong Pasir, Alamim said he adopted a systematic approach to grow his crops.

He has cultivated 3,000 chilli plants using an underground fertilising system and is using a mixture of dust from sawn wood and soil.

Alamin said each plant was carefully packed into a polybag to prevent infection.

He claimed his harvest was three times that obtained using the traditional method.

"The modern approach is environmentally-friendly and improves irrigation as the water is supplied directly to the roots," said Alamim.

He is assisted by his mother and a younger brother.

Bukit Awang farmers' area organisation general manager Ishak Mat Rotim said they were impressed with Alamim's efforts and had approved an interest-free RM15,000 loan to him to expand his farm.

The allocation was for the purchase of additional machinery, seeds, polybags and fertiliser.


Added on February 5, 2007, 2:32 pmMy Plan for the Site

user posted image


This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Feb 5 2007, 02:32 PM
milky
post Feb 5 2007, 09:17 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Jan 29 2007, 08:49 AM)

Added on February 5, 2007, 2:32 pmMy Plan for the Site

user posted image
*
looks like you are all set especially with all the site plans and stuff...
KUTGW
am_eniey
post Feb 6 2007, 10:45 AM

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I have a 12 acre piece of land in Pasir Salak, Perak.......please help me what should I do with it to make benefit?
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 6 2007, 11:55 AM

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QUOTE(am_eniey @ Feb 6 2007, 10:45 AM)
I have a 12 acre piece of land in Pasir Salak, Perak.......please help me what should I do with it to make benefit?
*
please refer to the website below :-

Business Development Centre - Ministry of Agriculture

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Feb 6 2007, 11:56 AM
am_eniey
post Feb 6 2007, 02:16 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Feb 6 2007, 11:55 AM)
please refer to the website below :-

Business Development Centre - Ministry of Agriculture
*
thanx for the link bro
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 6 2007, 03:57 PM

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QUOTE(am_eniey @ Feb 6 2007, 02:16 PM)
thanx for the link bro
*
welcome hope you find the link useful and hopefully give you some idea.

best bet is also to visit the State Agriculture Office or District Agri Office for their advice.
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 7 2007, 08:56 AM

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Building a Water Trap aka "DaM"

user posted image

user posted image

user posted image

user posted image



am_eniey
post Feb 7 2007, 04:27 PM

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yes indeed i'm planning to do so but currently i'm working offshore so it's kinda hard for me to contribute my time for that little piece of land, i know it sounds like a dumbass, but i'll try to work it out.
harrychoo
post Feb 7 2007, 05:00 PM

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Let say i interested opening a farm (maybe a small scale) to raise goats or cows, how much it need roughly?

Any source out there that can help me to build those barn, setup the farm, sell me the goats and cows and provide me training in 1 package?
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 7 2007, 05:34 PM

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QUOTE(harrychoo @ Feb 7 2007, 05:00 PM)
Let say i interested opening a farm (maybe a small scale) to raise goats or cows, how much it need roughly?

Any source out there that can help me to build those barn, setup the farm, sell me the goats and cows and provide me training in 1 package?
*
"Franchise" method for this farm is not widely available in Malaysia. though alot of people are doing it small scale.

Read in the papers today that there was a guy rearing Saanen goats for their milk. quite profitable it seems.

You can also read BOER goats from Australia if not mistaken for their meat. i was at the MAHA 2006 expo and saw their powerpoint presentation of the farm and goats. those goats are HUGE.

also please refer to the link below :-

Info on Goats from Ministry Of Agriculture
am_eniey
post Feb 7 2007, 06:00 PM

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this looks interesting for my 12 acre.....
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 7 2007, 06:43 PM

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QUOTE(am_eniey @ Feb 7 2007, 06:00 PM)
this looks interesting for my 12 acre.....
*
i would suggest you get some books to read up. depending on your interest.

a) Agriculture
b) Aquaculture
c) LiveStock

then you will have a feel on roughly what to do.

and then its all about

A
C
T
I
O
N


mIssfROGY
post Feb 7 2007, 07:58 PM

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cant wait for the meeting!!
The meeting for agenda btw?
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 7 2007, 09:23 PM

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QUOTE(mIssfROGY @ Feb 7 2007, 07:58 PM)
cant wait for the meeting!!
The meeting for agenda btw?
*
agenda not yet set.
i will come up with it next week.

need sometime to think about it over the weekend...hehe

mIssfROGY
post Feb 7 2007, 09:27 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Feb 7 2007, 09:23 PM)
agenda not yet set.
i will come up with it next week.

need sometime to think about it over the weekend...hehe
*
notworthy.gif wow....hehe...got agenda. thumbup.gif
am_eniey
post Feb 8 2007, 05:38 PM

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ParaOpticaL, I'll be glad to join your meeting, I'm into farming business although I'm currently employed with an Oil n Gas company....I find that it's a waste having a 12 acre land and doing nothing profitable with it....I'll return to Penang probably at the end of this month or early March...really hope to meet you and everybody else involved.....I need to know all the techniques and costs and support...thanx
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 8 2007, 06:12 PM

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QUOTE(am_eniey @ Feb 8 2007, 05:38 PM)
ParaOpticaL, I'll be glad to join your meeting, I'm into farming business although I'm currently employed with an Oil n Gas company....I find that it's a waste having a 12 acre land and doing nothing profitable with it....I'll return to Penang probably at the end of this month or early March...really hope to meet you and everybody else involved.....I need to know all the techniques and costs and support...thanx
*
brother...

we are having a meeting in Kuala Lumpur wor.
please refer to the 1st page in case there is any miscommunication.
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 10 2007, 10:55 AM

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Source : New Straits Time
Hybrid fish to 'save' seafood sector
10 Feb 2007


user posted image
Courtesy of NST

KOTA KINABALU: A hybrid species of grouper, or "sak pan" in Chinese, has been developed, which will have great commercial value and help to bring the seafood industry closer to its target for the future.

The new species is a cross between the giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) and the tiger grouper (Epine-phelus fuscoguttatus), both of which are high-value species in great consumer demand.

The fish was jointly developed by Universiti Malaysia Sabah's Borneo Marine Research Institute (BMIT), the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) and Kinki University Japan.

BMIT director Prof Dr Saleem Mustafa said the new species will relieve the pressure on the wild grouper due to overfishing and other illegal fishing methods.

"We are looking at helping to find solutions to the increasing demand, versus shrinking supply, of the industry through aquaculture," he said.

A consignment of 2,000 four-month-old fish will be distributed to local fish breeders and farmers through LKIM.

The juvenile fish cost RM15 per fish now, but a fully grown one can sell for RM120 a kilogramme at full market price, said Saleem, adding that the species' full growth potential is not known yet.

"It has been well-received, and it will benefit the industry as well as help with the conservation of the species.

"Cross-breeding combines the best qualities of both parent fish, hence the premium price," he said, adding that there are plans to sell the fish on the global market.

The target for aquaculture production in the country 400,000 tonnes per year by 2010, and the current level of production is 110,000 tonnes.

"Traditional methods cannot achieve this, so a great deal of effort needs to be put into research and development to increase yield," he said, adding that the new grouper is a step in this direction.

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Feb 13 2007, 07:31 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 13 2007, 07:32 PM

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Update before CNY

This is where my OFFICE is going to be. In a CABIN

user posted image


My fish tanks will be placed here

user posted image

TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 15 2007, 12:55 PM

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The Star


Home-grown square melons to be on sale soon


Would you pay RM68 or RM88 for a sweet melon? It'll probably be a worthwhile buy if the said fruit is a square melon embossed with the word "Fook" (Chinese for prosperity), especially during an auspicious time like the Chinese New Year.

About 500 such melons are planted on the rooftop of Iris Corporation Berhad's Capillary AgroTech (M) Sdn Bhd in Technology Park.

"It's a research and development effort by our company to bring up the value of our produces for our farmers," said general manager Chia King Hong.

What a novelty: Chia holding two Golden Prosperity Melons, one still in its mould while the other will be attractively packed as a festive gift.
"We took the cue from the square watermelon produced in Japan. The project was started about six months ago and is still run on a small scale," he said.

The square melons will be launched into the market with a bang during Hari Raya or Christmas this year, he said.

A sweet melon is sold at between RM8 and RM10 at supermarkets. The company plans to sell the produce, which will be packaged attractively as festive gifts, at between RM68 and RM88.

But, you will have to wait if you are interested.

All 500 melons have been reserved by the company's employees and corporate partners.

Chia said there was not much sophisticated technology involved.

"When the fruits are still small, we put them into transparent moulds, of which one side is engraved with words or pictures, and they will grow according to their moulds," he explained.

With a lot of effort and a dash of creativity, here comes the Malaysian-made "Golden Prosperity Melon".
rexis
post Feb 18 2007, 02:15 AM

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Well done, para, I am way more then impressed. Thanks for putting all the info together. And good job in hosting and keep the topic burning.

As usual I am having funny thoughts in my mind, just yet to turn it into serious business. There are several research I need to carry out:

- soiless farming: cost, pruduction, crop price, material, method, location, manpower.

soiless means no soil, for example the strawberries farms in cameron or a hypotonic farm in a green house. The chili news para posted is one of the example. This should mean less hassle as you do not need to deal with dirt. Kinda suit the city lazy folks like me.

Cost should be higher then traditional farming, as you need to purchase every drop of fertilizer and every piece of potting material. Plenty of stuff to carry around too, like planting your seedlings into the polyplastic. And also the dipping system, etc.

Production should be way higher then traditional farming if you are inside a green house. It is a matter of 14 tons (in open air) to 50 tons(in green house) difference (planting chili, according to a verbal source)

Usually you can learn all thouse method from your fertilizer/seed supplier, perhaps you can even try out some of your creativity as well.

Soiless means you do not need to depend on mother earth, as long as you have air, water and sunlight, you can even do it in a spaceship(certainly not economically viable thou).

Applying smart systems will shoot your budget like a firework, but it certainly wont go out in flames and smoke if you do it right. It is possible to limit the manpower to one self(me). For example, I heard about some german farm which only have 2 employees. The tractor driver, and the boss.

I am looking forward for the agenda, yes I am.

Let all begin to work on something meaningful before our employment life drag us into oblivion.

Happy CNY, gong xi gong xi.
jeffblazed
post Feb 18 2007, 02:28 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Feb 6 2007, 03:57 PM)
welcome hope you find the link useful and hopefully give you some idea.

best bet is also to visit the State Agriculture Office or District Agri Office for their advice.
*
YES THIS IS THE BEST THING U COULD DO.....next please learn the ropes from someone experience in the venture that you are going to start
-agri venture has a 50-50 risk ratio
- dont leave your day job unless you have other income
-if you are planting dont hope for the seeds from the gov better get it from else where
-everybody will have their own opinion in this field.
-your best bet is to get knowledge from experience people in the field.....
rexis
post Feb 18 2007, 02:28 AM

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Para, you are rearing fish in tanks! Seem like one of the recent agriworld magazines have mentioned about this. I will bring all my magazines(2004-recent, time changed, but people will still grow the same thing tongue.gif) if I attend the agenda. Just to have something to look at.

No worries about not understand any ancient characters biggrin.gif you have me.

I have kept some vegetation in my condo, so in an attempt to prevent them from turning into fossile while im going off for CNY holiday, I have "did something to them", some sort of automatic watering system capable to supply them several days of water needs. No high tech terminator stuff here, the concept is there, not too sure if they actually works tongue.gif

So will try update you guys once I get back to the traffic jamming KL after next tuesday.

I am giving my pitaya plants some drought test, so they arnt getting any water for one whole dry week kekeke. Those who would like to do pitaya might find this info useful.

Regards. dongdongdongdongchiang

as jeffblazed said, in short, not asking for everything ready made, but look for the answer yourself, asking is simply one of the method.

This post has been edited by rexis: Feb 18 2007, 02:30 AM
jeffblazed
post Feb 19 2007, 02:22 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Feb 18 2007, 02:28 AM)
Para, you are rearing fish in tanks! Seem like one of the recent agriworld magazines have mentioned about this. I will bring all my magazines(2004-recent, time changed, but people will still grow the same thing tongue.gif) if I attend the agenda. Just to have something to look at.

No worries about not understand any ancient characters biggrin.gif you have me.

I have kept some vegetation in my condo, so in an attempt to prevent them from turning into fossile while im going off for CNY holiday, I have "did something to them", some sort of automatic watering system capable to supply them several days of water needs. No high tech terminator stuff here, the concept is there, not too sure if they actually works tongue.gif

So will try update you guys once I get back to the traffic jamming KL after next tuesday.

I am giving my pitaya plants some drought test, so they arnt getting any water for one whole dry week kekeke. Those who would like to do pitaya might find this info useful.

Regards. dongdongdongdongchiang

as jeffblazed said, in short, not asking for everything ready made, but look for the answer yourself, asking is simply one of the method.
*
i am not very keen into agriculture myself..but i had this friend who works in the department of agriculture..he did some consulting for my company...basicly he thought me what i know about agriculture because a few years back my singaporean partner was interested in doing an agriculture project Organic farming
and i looked around for some one experienced to do a viability study on this venture
so found this guy out.......
too bad he is not in lowyat net....may be if any of you are interested i could give you his email but i have to ask him first ok....





cktwai
post Feb 20 2007, 03:01 PM

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QUOTE(jeffblazed @ Feb 19 2007, 02:22 AM)
i am not very keen into agriculture myself..but i had this friend who works in the department of agriculture..he did some  consulting for my company...basicly he thought me what i know about agriculture because a few years back my singaporean partner was interested in doing an agriculture project Organic farming
and i looked around for some one experienced to do a viability study on this venture
so found this guy out.......
too bad he is not in lowyat net....may be if any of you are interested i could give you his email but i have to ask him first ok....
*
Hi there,

You may want to forward his contact to ParaOptical.

It's good to keep in touch with each other smile.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 23 2007, 08:10 AM

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rexis : yes please bring the Agri magazine if you have it with you. much appreciated it. please do come to the Meet up.

thank you for your compliments. hopefully i can get my stuff started next week.

jeffblazed : hope you can pass the contact to me. thank you.


This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Mar 1 2007, 12:08 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 1 2007, 12:07 PM

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Update 1 week after CNY

The Base of Place for my Tanks

user posted image

user posted image

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Mar 1 2007, 12:08 PM
Humping^Panda
post Mar 1 2007, 02:27 PM

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where to find buyer for the fish?

let say rear grouper,

1 baby grouper = rm15. (from the news, the price of the baby grouper)we buy 1000.

cost:
wait for X month.
fish food for X month.
utility bil for X month.
how many fish died during X month.(do we have any insurance plan if our fish die?)
transport?
maintainance?
worker salary?
land rental?
water filter?

so, after X month i earn for 1000 fish n sell at rm50 each.(rm50 each can or not? coz the news say can sell rm100 each not sure about it)
i get return rm50K(without minus cost).

anyone can shed expected cost for this?
how to calculate how much space need to rear x no. of fish?
where to look for such information?

ParaOpticaL,
beside how much fish/prawn u can rear in your fish farm?
how much is your office setup cost?

This post has been edited by Humping^Panda: Mar 1 2007, 03:30 PM
rexis
post Mar 2 2007, 01:16 AM

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QUOTE(Humping^Panda @ Mar 1 2007, 02:27 PM)
where to find buyer for the fish?

let say rear grouper,

1 baby grouper = rm15. (from the news, the price of the baby grouper)we buy 1000.

cost:
wait for X month.
fish food for X month.
utility bil for X month.
how many fish died during X month.(do we have any insurance plan if our fish die?)
transport?
maintainance?
worker salary?
land rental?
water filter?

so, after X month i earn for 1000 fish n sell at rm50 each.(rm50 each can or not? coz the news say can sell rm100 each not sure about it)
i get return rm50K(without minus cost).

anyone can shed expected cost for this?
how to calculate how much space need to rear x no. of fish?
where to look for such information?

ParaOpticaL,
beside how much fish/prawn u can rear in your fish farm?
how much is your office setup cost?
*
Panda should be rearing freshwater fish, haha kiddings, I think the easiest way to find this out is to pay RM5950 for a full package of 25 days of courses including theories and practical (www.todayaqua.com) or a mere RM580 for 2 weekends (Sat and Sun) courses about almost anything you need to know and who to call in rearing fish, also, they provide many other agri short courses too, like the one i am planning to take, dipping system organic vegetables(03-21424046, call they to know what they have now).

Basically you can also get to know all these from some agriculture magazine like the one I have(unfortunately, I am unable to join the gathering @ taman congnaught).

Fish marketing - first ask yourself, where can you get fish? Pasar pagi, seafood restaurant, ikan bakar stall... yup, go ask whether they want to buy fish. As simple as that. Oh, and dont stop asking when 10/20 of them turn you down, keep on asking.

Fish Food - ask the vendor, usually they can provide some extra tips or information, how much, how frequent, etc. Also dont forget about all those supplyment to make your fish happier and healthier, fish food vendors will have an idea about them.

Utility bills - how big is your pool? What is your fish density? Electric or diesel engine? All these will justify your bills.

Fish Survival - Usually the fish seed vendor have a figure about how many % of your seed can reach adulthood, provided the proper condition of course, like outside pool or concrete pool? Or the circulation system Para mentioned? The later one surely can increase the survival rate. Also, keep the fish well fed can inprove the survival rate - otherwise some hungry fish species will eat their own kind.

Transport - Lori rental? Or purchase lorry yourself? With fridge or without. You prefer to look for vendors who go straight to your farm? Or you want to fetch your goods to the fish market for better price? Compare these, and compare with the fuel cost. Then you will have a rough figure.

Maintanence - (actually utility bill is part of maintanence)so are you doing two job? Or you planning to take care the farm yourself?

Worker - How big is your farm? Do you need a worker? How many worker?(refer above) Where are your farm(KL indon workers RM800 monthly, Kelantan local workers RM300 will do), you can try get one or two helpers and increase or decrease them when required.

land - rent or own land? Usually the land problem need to figure out yourself? Keep asking and looking is the key.

Water - salt water or fresh water? Surely you need a water source nearby, usually openair pools dont use filter, they simply change water. And surely its very tough to rear grouper in midland(though not impossible)! you would want somewhere near sea, or on sea.

Sorry, I dont have an exact numbers here. The above are barely some road signs, not destinations.
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 2 2007, 09:06 AM

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QUOTE(Humping^Panda @ Mar 1 2007, 02:27 PM)
ParaOpticaL,
beside how much fish/prawn u can rear in your fish farm?
how much is your office setup cost?
*
i have 5 big tanks and 1 small tanks

a) each big tank can rear approx 500 plate-size fish which roughly is totalling at 2500 fishes

b) the small tank can get you about approx 300 plate-size fish but the main function of the small tank is for PURGING so it makes the fish texture and taste better.

office setup depends on lots of things. basically $$$$
i got a hand cabin/container for around RM 4.5k (20' x 8')

anything else you want to know ?

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Mar 2 2007, 09:07 AM
Humping^Panda
post Mar 2 2007, 11:08 AM

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ParaOpticaL,

thanks alot! biggrin.gif anyway, i need to do more research n budgetting bf i get invovle in any project. coz i m not like u mar...got FAMA. biggrin.gif

by the way,
i tot normally ppl will sell the fish to org tgh then to the org tgh sell to market.

but from wat i knw from my fishmen cousin, now they doing it theirself.
they sell it directly rather go thru org tgh.but need to have small lari with tanks.
to bring your goods to the market n distribute.
the main reason ppl go thru org tgh coz some of them take large order.
i think they took sometime to get so many buyer.but they are not in this area. so the org tgh is not the same.

by the way, when you said your fish tanks can handle 2500 fish meaning full grown?wat plate size? :biggrin.gif

anyway, i notice those in the tank grouper taste not nice compare to those fresh from sea. taste like mud. anyway the modern science counter this?
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 2 2007, 04:10 PM

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QUOTE(Humping^Panda @ Mar 2 2007, 11:08 AM)
ParaOpticaL,

thanks alot! biggrin.gif anyway, i need to do more research n budgetting bf i get invovle in any project. coz i m not like u mar...got FAMA. biggrin.gif

actually going into Aquaculture aint cheap that's what i can say even if you are going for ponds or tanks like i am doing. btw what's FAMA ? biggrin.gif

by the way,
i tot normally ppl will sell the fish to org tgh then to the org tgh sell to market.

if they sell to org tgh then those ppl can jack up the price thus making your items less saleable.

but from wat i knw from my fishmen cousin, now they doing it theirself.
they sell it directly rather go thru org tgh.but need to have small lari with tanks.
to bring your goods to the market n distribute.
the main reason ppl go thru org tgh coz some of them take large order.
i think they took sometime to get so many buyer.but they are not in this area. so the org tgh is not the same.

normally org tgh will bully the "producer" which is you. so if you have the time do your own marketing is better.

by the way, when you said your fish tanks can handle 2500 fish meaning full grown?wat plate size? :biggrin.gif

plate size = 500g to 700g min.

anyway, i notice those in the tank grouper taste not nice compare to those fresh from sea. taste like mud. anyway the modern science counter this?

just curious how can the grouper in tanks taste like mud? or are you referring to pond ?

*
my reply in BLUE
Humping^Panda
post Mar 4 2007, 12:48 AM

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ParaOpticaL,
FAMA = father mother sponser

yeah, fish farming or etc is very exp project.

hmmm...i think becoz of the water in the tanks lor.
but mark my word. it taste like mud. but i m not reffering to fish farming grouper. i mean those in restaurant grouper tht they put in tanks to keep them fresh n alive.if it is steam cook, it will taste like mud.
my really concern is tht will it taste like mud too if rear in pond or tanks.
just incase to do came across such studies during your research.

i assume the tanks you use is fiberglass?
how much per tanks cost?

org tgh, hmm...so i assume you figure out your market ady biggrin.gif.

how you going to take your farm? u going full time to take care?
if not does the worker need alot training one inorder for them to be take care? biggrin.gif

sorry asked u too much. not time to chat msn nowadays. biggrin.gif

anyway, all the best. biggrin.gif

TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 5 2007, 08:46 AM

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QUOTE(Humping^Panda @ Mar 4 2007, 12:48 AM)
ParaOpticaL,
FAMA = father mother sponser

brother if you dont know what i am doing then please dont SPECULATE that i am under FAMA. get your facts rights.  biggrin.gif

yeah, fish farming or etc is very exp project.

hmmm...i think becoz of the water in the tanks lor.
but mark my word. it taste like mud. but i m not reffering to fish farming grouper. i mean those in restaurant grouper tht they put in tanks to keep them fresh n alive.if it is steam cook, it will taste like mud.
my really concern is tht will it taste like mud too if rear in pond or tanks.
just incase to do came across such studies during your research.

if you dont mind how did you know it tastes like mud ? you tried it before ?

i assume the tanks you use is fiberglass?
how much per tanks cost?

tanks cost about RM 5k each

org tgh, hmm...so i assume you figure out your market ady biggrin.gif.

how you going to take your farm? u going full time to take care?
if not does the worker need alot training one inorder for them to be take care? biggrin.gif

doing it full time for a few months and then go hire people...

sorry asked u too much. not time to chat msn nowadays. biggrin.gif

anyway, all the best. biggrin.gif
*
my replies in blue
Humping^Panda
post Mar 5 2007, 08:59 AM

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of course i tried before.in my place grouper is cheap.but only when i come to west malaysia the grouper here is super expensive n some of them taste like mud(not all).

hey sorry about the fama thingy. coz i tot u told me bf....maybe i remember wrongly.
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 5 2007, 09:09 AM

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QUOTE(Humping^Panda @ Mar 5 2007, 08:59 AM)
of course i tried before.in my place grouper is cheap.but only when i come to west malaysia the grouper here is super expensive n some of them taste like mud(not all).

hey sorry about the fama thingy. coz i tot u told me bf....maybe i remember wrongly.
*
maybe the method to raise grouper here not so established like in Sabah. A Sabah University Professor even asked me is i would like to go for attachment. i probably would take up the offer in the 2nd half of the year.

its ok. i am venturing into this business with the money i made from my other ventures.

are you residing in KL now? if yes would you like to come to our gathering this saturday.

TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 9 2007, 09:05 AM

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Please be reminded that the Meet Up session is this Saturday 10th March 2007 @ 7.30pm @ Secret Recipe, Taman Connaught

cktwai
post Mar 11 2007, 11:31 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 9 2007, 09:05 AM)
Please be reminded that the Meet Up session is this Saturday 10th March 2007 @ 7.30pm @ Secret Recipe, Taman Connaught

*
ParaOptical...

Thanks for the knowledge sharing session at Taman Connaught! Really appreciate your help ! notworthy.gif

I tried looking for information online and i don't think there's a lot of information that can actually help people to start up... Perhaps you might want to put all these information you know online smile.gif

Anyway... now my first aim is to look for a land .. Preferably with water source laugh.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 12 2007, 05:40 PM

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QUOTE(cktwai @ Mar 11 2007, 11:31 AM)
ParaOptical...

Thanks for the knowledge sharing session at Taman Connaught! Really appreciate your help !  notworthy.gif

You are most welcome. Am glad you get to know something from this. btw thanks for the dinner also. appreciate it.

I tried looking for information online and i don't think there's a lot of information that can actually help people to start up... Perhaps you might want to put all these information you know online smile.gif

true the information online is kinda limited and not so accurate also. well i am not really well versed in this putting info online perhaps you can help me if you got the time ? me bit IT laggard nowadays...

Anyway... now my first aim is to look for a land .. Preferably with water source  laugh.gif


Yes that's the spirit. most important is too

A C T I O N Good Luck


*
btw tell your friend the actual material is RFP (Reinforced Fibre Plastic)
thanks

phat
post Mar 14 2007, 12:35 AM

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gud info u got here..maybe i will join u later.when i got free time.. smile.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 14 2007, 01:05 PM

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QUOTE(phat @ Mar 14 2007, 12:35 AM)
gud info u got here..maybe i will join u later.when i got free time..  smile.gif
*
thank you. hope you can join us and share and get more ideas.

Place for my COMPOSTING
user posted image


This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Mar 14 2007, 03:28 PM
sAkUrAg1
post Mar 18 2007, 07:19 PM

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Dear all,

I am a new bee, and want to venture to aqua bussines.

thanks for all the information.

it really made me aware of the cost and the risk.

i got alot of readings yo do, before i start the project.

Para,

thanks for sharing with us your project pictures.

kong5091
post Mar 18 2007, 07:53 PM

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May i ask roughly how much money needed to invest into this business include buying land etc?? What is the size of ur land?
cktwai
post Mar 18 2007, 08:42 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 14 2007, 01:05 PM)
thank you. hope you can join us and share and get more ideas.

Place for my COMPOSTING
user posted image
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looks like a lot of progress... can i like visit your farm ar ?
rexis
post Mar 18 2007, 11:46 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 14 2007, 01:05 PM)
thank you. hope you can join us and share and get more ideas.

Place for my COMPOSTING
user posted image
*
Hi guys, it is really a good idea to held a visiting to para farm.

Ehh? I tot you rearing fish, why construct a compost pit?
draggy
post Mar 19 2007, 02:05 AM

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ParaOpticaL, are you using normal pipe water?

if yes, then better use natural water.... it will save you a lot

and is better also to have an egg incubation place to hatch eggs

This post has been edited by draggy: Mar 19 2007, 02:09 AM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 19 2007, 08:45 AM

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QUOTE(sAkUrAg1 @ Mar 18 2007, 07:19 PM)
Dear all,

I am a new bee, and want to venture to aqua bussines.

thanks for all the information.

it really made me aware of the cost and the risk.

i got alot of readings yo do, before i start the project.

Para,

thanks for sharing with us your project pictures.
*
dont worry everyone including me also a newbie in Agri + Aqua business. that doesnt matter. most important you want to do it.

hope you drop by more as i try to update the info as much as possible. with all the news from all over.


QUOTE(kong5091 @ Mar 18 2007, 07:53 PM)
May i ask roughly how much money needed to invest into this business include buying land etc?? What is the size of ur land?
*
from my venture ONE Tank + ONE Filter & Pump is roughly about RM 15k.
you can also rear fishes differently from me. like in Cement Ponds or normal ponds. it doesnt matter.

Land cost varies from each. so i think its not wise to put it up. what you can do is go for renting if $$$ is a problem. rent 5 years with option for another 5.


QUOTE(cktwai @ Mar 18 2007, 08:42 PM)
looks like a lot of progress... can i like visit your farm ar ?
*
Can but not now yet. wait till my equipment and things are ready then make a visit. then you will get the idea.

QUOTE(rexis @ Mar 18 2007, 11:46 PM)
Hi guys, it is really a good idea to held a visiting to para farm.

Ehh? I tot you rearing fish, why construct a compost pit?
*
Can but not now yet. wait till my equipment and things are ready then make a visit. then you will get the idea.

i have some land vacant so i thought of planting something. maybe HERBS ?


QUOTE(draggy @ Mar 19 2007, 02:05 AM)
ParaOpticaL, are you using normal pipe water?

if yes, then better use natural water.... it will save you a lot

and is better also to have an egg incubation place to hatch eggs
*
Nope not using pipe water. my place has a stream passing thru. so i am doing a water cachement area so i can use the natural spring water.



BTW to those who missed the Meet Up Session. i would be happy to have another one. hehe
biggrin.gif
cktwai
post Mar 19 2007, 02:24 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 12 2007, 05:40 PM)
btw tell your friend the actual material is RFP (Reinforced Fibre Plastic)
thanks
*
Paraoptical.... I roughly gave him the specification... He seems to know what I'm talking about... He has done quite a lot of work for fish farms before it seems haha..

Also he said he can do the pump as well... biggrin.gif Is there anything special about the pump other than able to control the speed ?

I'll be able to get a quotation from him tommorrow... then you go contact him la if it's cheaper.. smile.gif



TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 19 2007, 03:18 PM

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QUOTE(cktwai @ Mar 19 2007, 02:24 PM)
Paraoptical.... I roughly gave him the specification... He seems to know what I'm talking about... He has done quite a lot of work for fish farms before it seems haha..

Also he said he can do the pump as well...  biggrin.gif Is there anything special about the pump other than able to control the speed ?

I'll be able to get a quotation from him tommorrow... then you go contact him la if it's cheaper..  smile.gif
*
WOW he can do pumps which is good for future purposes.

as for the RFP if he can give assurance and guarantee i dont see any harm in getting from him as i want to reduce cost in the process.

thanks for the heads up
rexis
post Mar 25 2007, 01:19 PM

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QUOTE
i have some land vacant so i thought of planting something. maybe HERBS ?


How big is the piece of land?

You can plant dragon fruit/pitaya, these cactus do not need that much of care, and they will start fruiting pretty fast, some within 9 month to get the first batch of fruits. And they fetch quite a good market price too, if you can find the market of course. And theres one case i read about is

a pitaya farmer actually transplanted all his pitaya to another land, dig the whole thing out including the supporting pilla, 100% survival. Just in case your landlord want to take back his land in future.

Or you can consider some short tern crops like jagung, chilli. Sweetcorn perhaps not that good price but the market is there. Cili padi have a good price and can harvest relatively fast.

Or build a goat barn there, buy in a few baby goat, and feed them for a few month, then sell them, fast money. But if you are not that keen on rearing mutton...

If its not really a big plot of land, you can consider make compost pile from it, get lots of chicken/goat/cow manure and mix them with grass chippings and compost bacteria, turn them weekly and 1.5 months later you will have lots of compost. You should be able to get some RM300/ton, you dont really need that much space to accumulate 10 tons of these organic fertilizer you know.

Herbs, perhaps you can ask pejabat petanian about this.

Or if you not really that urgently want to make money with this piece of land, plant some flower/fruit trees you like and make it into a nice garden where you can really relax. We should really enjoy our life you see.
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 25 2007, 06:03 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Mar 25 2007, 01:19 PM)
How big is the piece of land?

You can plant dragon fruit/pitaya, these cactus do not need that much of care, and they will start fruiting pretty fast, some within 9 month to get the first batch of fruits. And they fetch quite a good market price too, if you can find the market of course. And theres one case i read about is

a pitaya farmer actually transplanted all his pitaya to another land, dig the whole thing out including the supporting pilla, 100% survival. Just in case your landlord want to take back his land in future.

Or you can consider some short tern crops like jagung, chilli. Sweetcorn perhaps not that good price but the market is there. Cili padi have a good price and can harvest relatively fast.

Or build a goat barn there, buy in a few baby goat, and feed them for a few month, then sell them, fast money. But if you are not that keen on rearing mutton...

If its not really a big plot of land, you can consider make compost pile from it, get lots of chicken/goat/cow manure and mix them with grass chippings and compost bacteria, turn them weekly and 1.5 months later you will have lots of compost. You should be able to get some RM300/ton, you dont really need that much space to accumulate 10 tons of these organic fertilizer you know.

Herbs, perhaps you can ask pejabat petanian about this.

Or if you not really that urgently want to make money with this piece of land, plant some flower/fruit trees you like and make it into a nice garden where you can really relax. We should really enjoy our life you see.
*
thanks for the info.
actually i am trying to divide the plot of land so i can do some R&D

when my site (Aquaculture) is ready, those who are free can come over for a visit.

......................

to those who havent met up pls PM or we get a date so we can meet up to brainstorm abit.

thanks


rexis
post Mar 26 2007, 09:07 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 25 2007, 06:03 PM)
thanks for the info.
actually i am trying to divide the plot of land so i can do some R&D

when my site (Aquaculture) is ready, those who are free can come over for a visit.

......................

to those who havent met up pls PM or we get a date so we can meet up to brainstorm abit.

thanks
*
Some add on, i read about a banana farmer actually plant cili padi among his banana plants, the income from the cili can actually pay up his workers salary. But it is not like you can plant cili among your fish thou...
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 26 2007, 09:28 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Mar 26 2007, 09:07 AM)
Some add on, i read about a banana farmer actually plant cili padi among his banana plants, the income from the cili can actually pay up his workers salary. But it is not like  you can plant cili among your fish thou...
*
actually planting what plants or herbs i really dont have an idea.
will go to MARDI and Pertanian to ask around.

as for the fish species am going to Shah Alam on wednesday for advice.
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 29 2007, 03:20 PM

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Update from me....@ 29/3/07


Half of the fibre glass before being "LEGOed"
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Moving the fibre glass pieces slowly and steadily
user posted image

My tanks arranged in a row
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Inside view of a big tank
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View of a small tank
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View of a big tank
user posted image






rexis
post Mar 29 2007, 10:57 PM

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Mmmm, high value fresh water fish to rear... its gotta be soon hok. The fresh one fetch a good price. Talapia and Keli is your laaaast choice. OR you can even consider pet fish! Like koi, gold fish, etc.

Wooo, if those lovely tanks under my procession i will make them into giant composting tanks... thats what i am up to recently. I know how to make compost, but how good is the end product, will it grow or kill vegetables, might be able to find out 3 months later.

I once calculated if you cover your acre with 4 feet deep dead plants + chicken manure you will have some half of million $ worth of compost a few months later. Well, i always dreaming about things thats too good to be true, so the actual value might me *slightly* lower...

I read about a factory actually collect vegetable and fruit waste from pasar borong and grind them into bits, mix with goat manure, and let them rot for 45 days, then you got organic fertilizer. They selling it some half a $ per kg and have some 150k worth of business monthly.

Waste to cash. Tats the way to go.
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 30 2007, 08:49 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Mar 29 2007, 10:57 PM)
Mmmm, high value fresh water fish to rear... its gotta be soon hok. The fresh one fetch a good price. Talapia and Keli is your laaaast choice. OR you can even consider pet fish! Like koi, gold fish, etc.

Wooo, if those lovely tanks under my procession i will make them into giant composting tanks... thats what i am up to recently. I know how to make compost, but how good is the end product, will it grow or kill vegetables, might be able to find out 3 months later.

I once calculated if you cover your acre with 4 feet deep dead plants + chicken manure you will have some half of million $ worth of compost a few months later. Well, i always dreaming about things thats too good to be true, so the actual value might me *slightly* lower...

I read about a factory actually collect vegetable and fruit waste from pasar borong and grind them into bits, mix with goat manure, and let them rot for 45 days, then you got organic fertilizer. They selling it some half a $ per kg and have some 150k worth of business monthly.

Waste to cash. Tats the way to go.
*
compost the place i will do it when i have a bigger plot of land.

as of your story i saw it in the papers. its about a Market in Seri Kembangan...

siaokia
post Mar 31 2007, 02:46 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 30 2007, 08:49 AM)
compost the place i will do it when i have a bigger plot of land.

as of your story i saw it in the papers. its about a Market in Seri Kembangan...
*
hi,

I'm interested in this farming thing.

i have one question here... for the aquaculture... how will be the fish and prawn taste? cause the fish and prawn feed by ourself will have some " not nice taste or mud" in chinese is " chao cho" Hopefully u got what i mean.

How to solve this type of problem? Sorry I'm newbie in this. notworthy.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 31 2007, 06:48 PM

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QUOTE(siaokia @ Mar 31 2007, 02:46 PM)
hi,

I'm interested in this farming thing.

i have one question here... for the aquaculture... how will be the fish and prawn taste? cause the fish and prawn feed by ourself will have some " not nice taste or mud" in chinese is " chao cho" Hopefully u got what  i mean.

How to solve this type of problem?  Sorry I'm newbie in this.  notworthy.gif
*
the reason for those is two things :-

a) they are reared in mud ponds
b) they dont have exercise

my system is reared in Fibre Glass Tanks.

so there will be better fish taste and texture quality.
cktwai
post Mar 31 2007, 07:14 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 26 2007, 09:28 PM)
actually planting what plants or herbs i really dont have an idea.
will go to MARDI and Pertanian to ask around.

as for the fish species am going to Shah Alam on wednesday for advice.
*
Para...

Today i was at this fair... There's someone exhibiting on specific fish pellets for Red Tilipia fishes... It's like RM 1.20 for 1 kg.... you interested ???

I can give you the contact... smile.gif

Also i got some leaflets on some new technology on farming... later i take photo and upload somewhere la

siaokia
post Mar 31 2007, 08:10 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 31 2007, 06:48 PM)
the reason for those is two things :-

a) they are reared in mud ponds
b) they dont have exercise

my system is reared in Fibre Glass Tanks.

so there will be better fish taste and texture quality.
*
Thanks for the answer... smile.gif then now i know whats the problem... about the exercise thing... is it we gv them a bigger area to swim can solve the problem or gv them a bigger force of water flow?

This post has been edited by siaokia: Mar 31 2007, 08:12 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 31 2007, 10:04 PM

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QUOTE(cktwai @ Mar 31 2007, 07:14 PM)
Para...

Today i was at this fair... There's someone exhibiting on specific fish pellets for Red Tilipia fishes... It's like RM 1.20 for 1 kg.... you interested ???

I can give you the contact... smile.gif

Also i got some leaflets on some new technology on farming...  later i take photo and upload somewhere la
*
hi cktwai,

when were you at the fair ?
i was there on Friday @ PWTC.

i think the product is from Mardi right ?
they arent in production yet are they ? if they are please PM me...

what new technology ?
share share...thanks


This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Mar 31 2007, 10:06 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 31 2007, 10:07 PM

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QUOTE(siaokia @ Mar 31 2007, 08:10 PM)
Thanks for the answer...  smile.gif  then now i know whats the problem... about the exercise thing...  is it we gv them a bigger area to swim can solve the problem or gv them a bigger force of water flow?
*
not necessary a bigger area. depends on how you rear the fish...

too big the area also no point as you cant make all the fish "exercise"
AsiaPartTime
post Apr 1 2007, 01:44 AM

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Hi guys, really fun to read this post. I am almost going into agri industry. Currently, I am helping my brother to market his Aquarium Fish trading business. If anyone know some breeder on aquarium fish, please share your contact.

Hi Para, why don't you try to breed aquarium fish? The market is better.

Btw, my family oso have 100 hectars of durian farm. my advice to you guys, dun plant durian, the market is too saturated oredi. everytime hv to depends on those Singaporean bcos all my durians are export to singapore. So, No point plant durian.

we start to venture into new farming, livestock on cow. it is good because we can use their SHIT as organic fertilizer for my durians trees. hahahahah.

i am interested on the gathering too. When is the next session.
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 1 2007, 12:00 PM

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QUOTE(AsiaPartTime @ Apr 1 2007, 01:44 AM)
Hi guys, really fun to read this post. I am almost going into agri industry. Currently, I am helping my brother to market his Aquarium Fish trading business. If anyone know some breeder on aquarium fish, please share your contact.

Hi Para, why don't you try to breed aquarium fish? The market is better.

Btw, my family oso have 100 hectars of durian farm. my advice to you guys, dun plant durian, the market is too saturated oredi. everytime hv to depends on those Singaporean bcos all my durians are export to singapore. So, No point plant durian.

we start to venture into new farming, livestock on cow. it is good because we can use their SHIT as organic fertilizer for my durians trees. hahahahah.

i am interested on the gathering too. When is the next session.
*
AsiaPartTime,

i have thought about it but since i have my own goal so i will be going into Consumer Fishes.

i think after a few more gathering session we can start a informal information centre.
hehe

next session should be in early May.
draggy
post Apr 1 2007, 11:01 PM

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I wonder how many person in this thread own a farm , plantation or land......
AsiaPartTime
post Apr 2 2007, 11:26 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Apr 1 2007, 12:00 PM)
AsiaPartTime,

i have thought about it but since i have my own goal so i will be going into Consumer Fishes.

i think after a few more gathering session we can start a informal information centre.
hehe

next session should be in early May.
*
Consumer fish is abit hard. those restaurants like to hold ur payment. last time my brotehr used to supply seafood fish like prawn to them, their payment really bad.

anyway, with ur facility, u can convert into breeding any kind of fish easily.

Do you have any water from jungle? fresh water , not paip water for ur farm?
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 2 2007, 02:57 PM

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QUOTE(draggy @ Apr 1 2007, 11:01 PM)
I wonder how many person in this thread own a farm , plantation or land......
*
i will be looking around for some farm land when my project takes off..


QUOTE(AsiaPartTime @ Apr 2 2007, 11:26 AM)
Consumer fish is abit hard. those restaurants like to hold ur payment. last time my brotehr used to supply seafood fish like prawn to them, their payment really bad.

anyway, with ur facility, u can convert into breeding any kind of fish easily.

Do you have any water from jungle? fresh water , not paip water for ur farm?
*
yeah i heard about those notorious restaurants. but what i can do is only do Cash payment. you pay cash then i supply. there are lots of restaurants if you supply is good

yeah i can convert anytime if the commercial fish is really poor then i might change tactic.

yes i have a stream passing thru the farm. so i get "spring jungle water"
AsiaPartTime
post Apr 2 2007, 08:19 PM

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with ur "spring jungle water", your fish will grow faster and high quality. Where is your farm?
rexis
post Apr 3 2007, 12:26 AM

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No, i do not have any property, land is wat i am looking for now, and also the initiative to start something, rather then keep talking/ranting.

QUOTE(AsiaPartTime @ Apr 1 2007, 01:44 AM)
Btw, my family oso have 100 hectars of durian farm. my advice to you guys, dun plant durian, the market is too saturated oredi. everytime hv to depends on those Singaporean bcos all my durians are export to singapore. So, No point plant durian.
*
Heres another landlord!

Sound like you are somewhere in johor, i read about the sweet corn planters there exporting baby corn to s'pore too. Also, about the durian, yeah, durian market is too satuated, common species like D24 pricing is so.... i read about another article bout a deer rearer feed his D24 to his live stock sleep.gif

There are certain species still remain high price. Like mountain cat king, red prawn, "khuan yuk/kun yu". And you mentioned about exporting too, exporting is a very important way to ensure success too. You should pay attension to the international market requirement. Example, long lasting, pesticide residue, etc.

QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Apr 1 2007, 12:00 PM)
AsiaPartTime,

i have thought about it but since i have my own goal so i will be going into Consumer Fishes.

i think after a few more gathering session we can start a informal information centre.
hehe

next session should be in early May.
*
Its already an information center here biggrin.gif

Para, have you thought about replicating the river environment to make your fish tastier? Like adding in some water jet stream, make some artificial waterfall, etc. ust a thought. Not sure how will it end up like but for sure will add COST, hahaha.

Theres another article i read about is this guy rearing talapia in prawn pool with salt water, the end result is a tastier and better meat texture fish compare to freshwater talapia. (note: talapia can survive in both fresh and salt water, can do by slowly increasing the salt content, just dont them straight away into sea!)

Oh yeah, i know you should not rear talapia tongue.gif any idea about what fish yet?

How about learn to breed fish? Then sell baby fish? Like that you only need a few adult fish and the proper skill and your fish farm can start production right away.
cktwai
post Apr 3 2007, 05:00 PM

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HI Para,

Most of the things i got it from the same place at PWTC smile.gif

HEre's what i have:-

1. LEaflets on Mixed Farming Production System
2. Leaflets on Sistem Perladangan Campuer Berasaskan Tanaman Padi Aerobik
3. Leaftlets on New Cost Effective Feed for Red Tilapia.

There's also two technologies on fish feeding which i find are ridiculous inventions. Too expensive and not useful.

The feed for red tilapia is actually in production for small scale. I suppose if you buy like 3 kg a month they will have supplies. smile.gif

What fish are you planning to farm ???

Anyway, if you guys want to setup an information centre, i could put up a website where everyone can post information...


Added on April 3, 2007, 5:02 pm
QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 31 2007, 10:07 PM)
not necessary a bigger area. depends on how you rear the fish...

too big the area also no point as you cant make all the fish "exercise"
*
PAra... is there anymore land available near your area ??? YOur area is also within my reach... smile.gif

This post has been edited by cktwai: Apr 3 2007, 05:02 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 3 2007, 06:09 PM

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QUOTE(AsiaPartTime @ Apr 2 2007, 08:19 PM)
with ur "spring jungle water", your fish will grow faster and high quality. Where is your farm?
*
yeah because of the spring water...
fish will be better and save cost...

my farm is at Hulu Langat.


QUOTE(rexis @ Apr 3 2007, 12:26 AM)
Its already an information center here  biggrin.gif

Para, have you thought about replicating the river environment to make your fish tastier? Like adding in some water jet stream, make some artificial waterfall, etc. ust a thought. Not sure how will it end up like but for sure will add COST, hahaha.

Theres another article i read about is this guy rearing talapia in prawn pool with salt water, the end result is a tastier and better meat texture fish compare to freshwater talapia. (note: talapia can survive in both fresh and salt water, can do by slowly increasing the salt content, just dont them straight away into sea!)

Oh yeah, i know you should not rear talapia tongue.gif any idea about what fish yet?

How about learn to breed fish? Then sell baby fish? Like that you only need a few adult fish and the proper skill and your fish farm can start production right away.
*

though its an info center but we need to organise it properly.
rearing tilapia could be a choice if i can market it to the right place.


QUOTE(cktwai @ Apr 3 2007, 05:00 PM)
HI Para,

Most of the things i got it from the same place at PWTC smile.gif

HEre's what i have:-

1. LEaflets on Mixed Farming Production System
2. Leaflets on Sistem Perladangan Campuer Berasaskan Tanaman Padi Aerobik
3. Leaftlets on New Cost Effective Feed for Red Tilapia.

There's also two technologies on fish feeding which i find are ridiculous inventions. Too expensive and not useful.

The feed for red tilapia is actually in production for small scale. I suppose if you buy like 3 kg a month they will have supplies. smile.gif

What fish are you planning to farm ??? 

Anyway, if you guys want to setup an information centre, i could put up a website where everyone can post information...

PAra... is there anymore land available near your area ??? YOur area is also within my reach... smile.gif
*
yeah i saw those above.

funny thing about the expo is that cant commercialise it anytime soon so i dont understand why they display a commercial contact no. wasting time and space.

i think that one is from MARDI about the fish feed. i might go and ask and might try and buy to test it out.

about the information centre hope you can start a simple website or something if possible ?

how is the fibreglass coming ? about the area i dont think Langat would be a good place for you except you are ready to pay about RM 200k per acre ?


This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Apr 3 2007, 06:10 PM
cktwai
post Apr 3 2007, 10:10 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Apr 3 2007, 06:09 PM)
yeah because of the spring water...
fish will be better and save cost...

my farm is at Hulu Langat.


though its an info center but we need to organise it properly.
rearing tilapia could be a choice if i can market it to the right place.

yeah i saw those above.

funny thing about the expo is that cant commercialise it anytime soon so i dont understand why they display a commercial contact no. wasting time and space.

i think that one is from MARDI about the fish feed. i might go and ask and might try and buy to test it out.

about the information centre hope you can start a simple website or something if possible ?

how is the fibreglass coming ? about the area i dont think Langat would be a good place for you except you are ready to pay about RM 200k per acre ?

*
The guy told me he can do the tanks for about 5k.... if more can get cheaper deal... also the thickness of this tank is 6mm.. the guy was commenting that if it's less that 6mm might not hold the water plus 300kg fishes..

About the pump he's having problem calculating the pressure to make the water flow... he needs more time ... smile.gif

TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 11 2007, 07:58 AM

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Last Update before i go to Hong Kong @ 12 Apr

The Pump
user posted image

My Tanks in a Row
user posted image

Individual Tank
user posted image

TSParaOpticaL
post May 2 2007, 06:58 AM

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i had just gotten back from Terengganu for my Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) will update when i get back to the office. exciting things about this Aquaculture getting me crazy about the opportunities.
Ripp87
post May 2 2007, 07:13 AM

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whoa, can't believe there's so many pros here in lowyat. im thinking about venturing into palm oil plantation. anyone any idea how to manage?
AsiaPartTime
post May 2 2007, 03:13 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ May 2 2007, 06:58 AM)
i had just gotten back from Terengganu for my Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) will update when i get back to the office. exciting things about this Aquaculture getting me crazy about the opportunities.
*
Can you share more on the opportunities? We are waiting for it smile.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post May 2 2007, 08:57 PM

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QUOTE(AsiaPartTime @ May 2 2007, 03:13 PM)
Can you share more on the opportunities? We are waiting for it smile.gif
*
dont worry will post up the opportunity with photos also by the week.
lots of things to sort out.

biggrin.gif

--------------------

QUOTE(Ripp87 @ May 2 2007, 07:13 AM)
whoa, can't believe there's so many pros here in lowyat. im thinking about venturing into palm oil plantation. anyone any idea how to manage?
*
what kind of land size are you talking about ?

for palm oil plantation if the land is too small like 50 acres and below no point in doing it as there might not be enough ROI.

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: May 3 2007, 12:10 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post May 3 2007, 08:54 AM

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Just gotten back from Terengganu for training.


Tanks arrangement I
user posted image

Explanation of Usage I
user posted image

10,000 red tilapias
user posted image


Explanation of Usage II

user posted image

What's Inside
user posted image


Tanks arrangement II

user posted image

Tanks arrangement III
user posted image

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: May 3 2007, 12:13 PM
milky
post May 12 2007, 11:55 AM

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wrong thread...sorry

This post has been edited by milky: May 12 2007, 11:56 AM
TSParaOpticaL
post May 12 2007, 11:57 AM

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Here is one of the opportunities.

This Kuruma Prawn is a gift in the Japanese Market. It fetches around
Aus $ 70 - Aus $ 120.

----------------------------------------------------

http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/2695.html

Kuruma prawns
Penaeus japonicus

Officers of the Bribie Island Aquaculture Research Centre, revised by Ross Lobegeiger, Bribie Island Aquaculture Research Centre, DPI&F.

The kuruma prawn, Penaeus japonicus is a subtropical prawn native to the Indo-West Pacific and extending to the Red Sea and Africa. The northern coast of Queensland represented the southern limit of its distribution until the discovery of a small population near Mackay. The culture of the kuruma prawn in Australia has developed in response to lucrative Japanese markets. The majority of prawns are flown live to Japan.

Culture environment

Kuruma prawns are commonly found in the sandy bottom of the open ocean at depths of 10 - 40 metres. They are nocturnal animals burrowing in sand by day and feeding and spawning by night. Maximum growth rates are achieved in 25-35 parts per thousand (ppt) salinity. Kuruma prawns do not tolerate low salinity and a sudden drop will result in mortality.

Temperatures for optimum production range between 25oC and 30oC and feeding will stop at 15oC. These temperature requirements limit production to one crop during the summer months in areas south of Mackay. Excessively high water temperatures also affect production and cause problems when harvesting. The kuruma prawn does not culture well in tropical areas.

Kuruma prawns are grown in purpose built earthen ponds adjacent to good supplies of seawater. Ponds are approximately 0.8 to 1.5 hectares in size and are 1.5 to 2.0 metres deep. Ponds should have gently sloping bottoms that allow complete drainage and dry out of the pond floor. Steep pond sides (1:2 slope) will prevent benthic algal growth and minimise wading bird predation. Pond walls tend to be lined to prevent excessive soil particles eroding and settling on pond bottoms. Kuruma prawns also require that the pond floor be covered with 10-15 cm of sand to allow for their natural burrowing habit.

Breeding and post larvae production

Prawn larvae are produced in hatcheries from pond-reared spawners or broodstock collected from wild populations. The majority of these spawners are gonadally mature and when transferred to the hatchery will spawn in response to environmental manipulation or eyestalk ablation. Kuruma females will produce up to 0.8 million eggs per 100 gram of body weight. The eggs are hatched and then pass through a number of larval stages until the post larval (PL) stage is reached. The PLs are normally sold to the growout farms for stocking ponds when they are 15 days old (PL 15). Due to the majority of farms producing their crops over the summer period the greatest demand for PLs occurs from August to November.



Growout


Between harvests the pond bottoms are dried and waste and sediments from the previous crops are removed from the centre of the ponds. The sand bottom is renovated and dried and some extra sand may be added. Prior to filling the ponds are limed. The ponds are filled through screened inlets and left for 7-10 days before stocking. Kuruma PLs are generally stocked at 30 PLs per square metre with a range of 25 to 60 per m2. Organic fertilisers are used to maintain healthy algal blooms.

These blooms are essential to achieving good survival and fast growth rates. Careful feeding is necessary to achieve viable production. The prawns are fed two to three times at night and feeding trays are used to more accurately monitor feed rates. The major component of kuruma artificial feed is an expensive mix of high protein fish and squid meal. The prawn diet is presented in a pellet form that is water stable and of a size suitable for the particular growth stage. Food conversion ratio (FCR) for kuruma prawns is usually around 2.5 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of prawn (FCR 2.5:1).

Good water quality conditions are essential to maximise survival and growth rates. High aeration is vital to keep the sandy bottom well oxygenated and suitable for burrowing. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels must be maintained at greater than 4 parts per million (4 ppm). Both paddle wheel and propeller aspirators are used. Ammonia levels of 0.2 milligrams per litre will affect growth and are lethal at 1.5 mg per litre. Avoiding overstocking and excessive feeding can control ammonia levels. Kuruma prawns appear to tolerate a range of turbidity levels. As a stable water regime is vital, measurement of all water parameters should occur regularly. Within 6 months the prawns reach marketable size and with good survival (greater than 80%) production of 3 to 4 tonnes per hectare can be achieved.

Harvesting

Harvesting normally starts in March - April and continues through to July - August. The crop is normally partially harvested by using traps or wing nets set at night when the prawns are active. The traps are baited and the larger prawns are trapped inside while the smaller prawns escape. The wing nets channel the swimming prawns into a tunnel and then into a box net. The prawns are slowly cooled in two stages down to 12oC to 14oC before packing. The graded prawns are then packed in cool, moist wood shavings or sawdust in 1 kg packs. These packs are then placed in insulated boxes, which maintain the 12oC to 14oC range, and flown to Japan. Survival rates of 95% can be achieved using this technique.
rexis
post May 15 2007, 02:06 PM

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Here is how you grow a mushroom.

Basically it involved:
- prepare growing medium, a jelly-like nutrient for mushroom.
- prepare mushroom parts, basically you can buy fresh mushroom from hypermarket.
- getting a pure mushroom mycelium, aka mushroom cells, you dont want any other things mixed inside.
- create mushroom spawn using the pure mycelium, thats basically is to create more mycelium with your available stock.
- plant your mycelium and wait it grow into a mushroom!
- prepare tempura flour and vegetable oil for frying.
- fry your mushroom
- eat your mushroom
- and hopefully you dont get sick biggrin.gif


Added on May 17, 2007, 8:53 amNow, according to the notes, I made the growing medium using the recipe provided: boiled potato water + glucose + agar-agar(jelly), and let them coat inside a glass, refer the notes above for how to sterilize the glass + medium, and then I extracted some clean oyster mushroom tissue, it must be absolutely clean so the following steps must be taken:

- find a room with still air and minimal dust, I choose bath room, spray the room with water and hopefully get the dust particles in air will go away with water.
- and i need a clean surface, i used a piece of window glass, slightly heat it on top of the stove to kill all bacteria on it.
- all equipments: a nail sissors, a clip(the one they used to clean bird nest) are all sterilized by stove as well, not a single spore or bacteria are allowed or you will skrew the whole thing.
- okay, prepare the mushroom, tear it and use the sissor to cut a piece of the middle part of mushroom tissue, and place it on top of the prepared growing medium in glass.
- immediately cover the top of glass with aluminium foil, then use a lighter to burn the side of the cover for precaution.
- then place the glasses with mushroom tissue in a dark cool place and wait.

I prepared 4 glasses at my first try, something are happening there anyhow this is what i got.
- glass 1 filled with cotton-like white tiny fibre, i think they are pure oyster mushroom mycelium(success)
- glass 2 filled with cotton-like white fibre too, but less then glass 1, I think this means this breed is not as vigorous as glass 1.
- glass 3 filled with cotton-like white fibre BUT some green stuff are occuring too, i guess this means it is containminated, it can be thrown away now, anyhow i am keeping it for fun.
- glass 4 is containminated with brownish stuff.

Thats a 50% containmination rate, perhaps that means bathroom is not clean enough to do experiment like this.

I will be start to breed the mushroom spawn(using rice) soon, spawn can then be used to plant into sawdust and then fruit mushroom. Need to start sterilize the stuff soon.

Will take some snapshot if possible.

Cheers. QnA welcomed. Read notes first before asking your lecturer tongue.gif

This post has been edited by rexis: May 17 2007, 08:53 AM
TSParaOpticaL
post May 21 2007, 07:56 AM

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thank you for your time to give us this recipe...hehe

------------------------------

Agro sector a goldmine worth RM6b, says PM from NST

KUALA BERANG: High-impact projects in agriculture can generate about RM6.3 billion in revenue for the country by 2010, according to government estimates.
"Agriculture is business. High-impact projects in this sector will not only provide jobs and create new sources of wealth for the people but also revenue for the country," Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday.

He said the government had identified 61 areas covering 36,905 hectares where 39 high-impact projects in the agriculture sector could be created by 2010.

"These projects will benefit more than 22,000 participants, including graduates, fishermen and the hardcore poor," he said after visiting the country's largest aquaculture project at Sungai Como in Tasik Kenyir.


The project covers 2,800ha and 240 participants, who will manage 6,000 fish cages. The government has allocated RM50 million for its development.

Project participants only have to worry about raising the fish, mainly red tilapia, while marketing has been assigned to a private firm. This arrangement will ensure the long-term viability of the project.

Abdullah said the commercial production of high-value freshwater fish in the Sungai Como project would provide sustainable income for the participants.

The involvement of a range of people, especially graduates who were serious about agriculture, could spearhead the transformation of the sector, particularly in the fisheries sub-sector, he said.

He said graduates could help prove sceptics wrong, especially those in the rural areas.

"The agriculture sector is a goldmine for those willing to follow good agricultural practice. Graduates could also play an important role by taking the lead in agro-based industries.

"We are also hoping that the private sector will exploit the potential in aquaculture."

For Terengganu, he said, the launching of the high-impact project at Sungai Como notched another success for the Barisan Nasional government in its efforts to create wealth for the people, especially fishermen.

Abdullah singled out fishermen as the target group as they were often associated with poverty.

"By participating in aquaculture, they will be able to earn a steady income all year round."

Earlier, at the launch of the Aquaculture Industrial Zone at Sekolah Kebangsaan Tapah, Abdullah urged the private sector to promote agricultural exports.

The government has targeted the production of 662,000 tonnes of marine fish, freshwater fish and seaweed by 2010. Currently, the output was only 250,000 tonnes.

Abdullah said he also wanted to see small-scale farmers progress from production to marketing and to diversify into other agricultural sub-sectors.

"Their success will open the eyes of the people who will see the wealth of opportunities in this sector."

Abdullah also directed federal government agencies and the Johor government to ensure only genuine flood victims receive assistance.

"There are those who are opportunistic and pretend to be victims of the flood. They (agencies) must be careful to ensure only the genuine victims receive assistance.

"What is more important is that those who have been identified must be given the assistance immediately. Don't wait," he said.

The prime minister was responding to a question on the grouses by some flood victims who complained that financial assistance was slow and hampered by bureaucratic red tape.

Some of them had claimed that some agencies had requested that victims surrender their water and electricity bills to prove that they were actually flood victims.

Abdullah said the quantum of financial aid to the victims was approved by the state government with co-operation from federal agencies.
TSParaOpticaL
post May 21 2007, 07:59 AM

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A TV Programme for Agri + Aqua Entrepreneur

----------------------------------------------

Planting the seeds for agriculture from NST

KUALA LUMPUR: Catch the debut of Seeds, a hip programme on agriculture for youth and budding entrepreneurs, over ntv7 on Sunday.
The 30-minute programme at 5pm takes a fresh look at the sector, highlighting the upbeat side of the industry and showcasing how lucrative it can be.

The 13 episodes are being brought to viewers by CIMB Group with co-sponsorship by Sime Darby Bhd.

CIMB Group chief executive officer Datuk Nazir Razak said Seeds was expected to inspire youths to participate actively in agri-businesses.

"We want to create awareness of the potential of agriculture as an industry as well as develop a positive image of the sector," he said at the launch of the programme here yesterday.
Through Seeds, budding agropreneurs can get tips on various aspects of agricultural-based business, including research and development, innovation, branding, marketing, human capital and even funding.

The programme will also feature the success stories of agropreneurs including customers of CIMB Bank and Commerce-Ventures, the venture capital arm of CIMB Group.

Sime Darby chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Zubir Murshid said not much had been said about the industry so far.

"In Europe, farmers are rich but here people think that farmers are poor. We need to encourage more people to be interested in agriculture," he said.

The show was conceptualised, designed and produced by AcaraKita Sdn Bhd, a communications company.

Its communications director Siti Hajjar Abd Kader said many young businessmen had made millions in agriculture over the years.

"Seeds will take viewers to these success stories, giving them the opportunity to see how it was done. One can even pick up tips from them," she said.

The programme will be hosted by Nazrudin Rahman, more popularly known as Naz, of ntv7's Breakfast Show.

"Even the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is featured in episode one of Seeds, is very excited about the show. We had the opportunity to see how our leader, who is passionate about agriculture, tends to his secret fruit garden," Siti Hajjar said.

"The show will also feature guest hosts including Malaysia's number one singer, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Taruddin, Celena Khor of 3R, Juliana Ibrahim and Lydia Ibtisan of Puteri Impian."



This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: May 25 2007, 12:37 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post May 25 2007, 12:38 PM

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2007/05/21

Reaping a bounty from red tilapia


http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Mon...1080639/Article

TASIK KENYIR: Four months ago, Mohd Izuddin Mohd Rozali left his computer networking business for a new challenge.
And now, the 26-year-old may have found his niche.

Izuddin manages an aquaculture project at Sungai Como. It yielded its first harvest of red tilapia on Saturday.

Nearly a tonne of tilapia, weighing between 500 and 750g each, were fished from their holding pens and sold at the price of RM5 per kilogramme. The fish were for markets in Kuala Lumpur and Johor, for processing into fillet.

"This is only the beginning. I am now managing 200 fish cages, but by the end of this year, the number will be increased to 1,000 cages. There will be more work and I will face a bigger challenge.
"And, I am happy that leaving what was a comfortable job is paying off. The income is good."

His degree and skills from his old job, however, have made managing the project easier.

The project has also proven that the Aquaculture Industry Zone, covering 2,800ha at Sungai Como, could not have been better situated. The clean water has enabled Izuddin to raise premium quality fish.

The success of the project has attracted attention from the private sector and importers. State Fisheries Department director Munir Mohd Nawi praised Izuddin's commitment and said unemployed graduates should emulate it.

"We have a big area for this industry. Even participants - 11 groups, each comprising 10 members - in the aquaculture programme for the hardcore poor are doing good business.

"Their programme started much earlier and they are now selling about one tonne of red tilapia a month to buyers in the local market."

He said the department was in the process of obtaining accreditation under the Aquaculture Certification Scheme, which recognises good aquaculture practices.

"This is important as the recognition will enable breeders to export the red tilapia to Europe. The certification will allow buyers to identify fish coming from a premium source.

"Malaysia cannot compete based on quantity, but we have the edge if we go for quality."
rexis
post May 25 2007, 03:11 PM

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It is especially inspiring whenever I read about any IT guy venturing into this field, or any other field. One really should not limit themselves by a piece a paper.

Some said with a higher education cert will open up more opportunities to us, but I think this piece of paper just limiting one self. Thats what decide someone to be an accountant or analyst, that is a limitation. In the end, even if you hate accounting or programming so much, you have to bear with it.

Open up yourself for greater opportunities.

---------

Dont have any direction? Want to know what you will become after 5 or even 10 years? There is a fast way to get some idea about it. Just look at your boss, or any of your senior colleagues, and ask yourself, do you really want to be like them?

Find an inspiration, and follow their path. At least you know what you want and what you need to do.
TSParaOpticaL
post May 25 2007, 07:35 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ May 25 2007, 03:11 PM)
It is especially inspiring whenever I read about any IT guy venturing into this field, or any other field. One really should not limit themselves by a piece a paper.

Some said with a higher education cert will open up more opportunities to us, but I think this piece of paper just limiting one self. Thats what decide someone to be an accountant or analyst, that is a limitation. In the end, even if you hate accounting or programming so much, you have to bear with it.

Open up yourself for greater opportunities.

---------

Dont have any direction? Want to know what you will become after 5 or even 10 years? There is a fast way to get some idea about it. Just look at your boss, or any of your senior colleagues, and ask yourself, do you really want to be like them?

Find an inspiration, and follow their path. At least you know what you want and what you need to do.
*
hey brother... i am an Accounting guy turning to Aquaculture...

so i think both fields also are very big opportunities. 5 yrs down the road i plan to make at least RM 1,000,000.00

which i sincerely think its achievable.
TSParaOpticaL
post May 29 2007, 09:12 AM

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Medicinal herbs in your garden
By : Nisha Sabanayagam


user posted image



KUALA LUMPUR: The next time you accidentally step on a weed in your garden, take a closer look.
It might be one of those commonly overlooked wild plants that have medicinal properties.

A good example is the bayam duri (spiny amaranth), a noxious weed that is found in just about any Malaysian garden.

This coarse plant, with its sharp spines, can be used to treat internal bleeding, diarrhoea, excessive menstruation and snake bite.

The bayam duri and many other Malaysian garden weeds, which can be used to treat conditions ranging from the common cold to sexually transmitted diseases, are featured in the Healing Herbs of Malaysia.
This coffee table book, published by Felda, catalogues the healing properties of a hundred common plants, including many fruits and flowering species found in the country.

Examples include the mild limau purut (kaffir lime), which can prevent premature greying, the common pegaga (asiatic pennywort) which helps to preserve a youthful complexion and the innocuous asam gelugur (garcinia) which may assist in weigh loss.

Author Dr Wan Hassan Wan Enbong lamented the fact that only 50 local plant species were being used in the country's herbal industry and even fewer were being scientifically evaluated for their medicinal properties.

This is a real waste because Malaysia has over 2,000 native species that have been reported to have herbal or medicinal properties, said Wan Hassan, a specialist in tropical agriculture, food science and technology, nutrition and animal husbandry.

"There is big money in the herbal business but there is also a lack of awareness," he added.

Wan Hassan said the herbal medicine business was worth about RM5 billion a year in Malaysia and was growing at a rate of 15 per cent per year.

"Ironically, 90 per cent of the raw materials for the industry are being imported," said Wan Hassan.

Even herbs that have been commercialised, said Wan Hassan, were not being exploited efficiently.

For example, he added, kacip fatimah and tongkat ali could be used to treat a variety of ailments but they have mostly been promoted as sex-enhancing herbs.

For example, he said, he used to suffer from chronic rhinitis and always had a handkerchief to his nose.

"But after I took tongkat ali, my ailment improved within a month," he said.

He said part of the reason the book was published was to create interest among students and scientists to study local herbs because the industry was virtually untapped.

"It could bring so much riches to the country if properly cultivated," he said.

It took Wan Hassan and his photographer partner Mus-taffa Mahmood about 11 months to complete the book. He said the idea for the book was mooted by Felda.

"The text is simple and interesting. I tried to think of everything in layman's terms," he added.

Mustaffa's photography work has adorned, in full or part, more than 30 coffee table books of various titles.

The book is available through mail order at RM290 per copy.

Enquiries may be directed to Wan Hassan at 012-3769020.


rexis
post May 29 2007, 01:41 PM

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Malaysia is a tropical country, a lot of unique flora and fauna can be found here, and a significant number of them has medical use. If this can be done properly, herbs can become malaysia 2nd oil palm.

There is a saying that a weed is a plant that its use has yet to be discovered.

But saying is saying, doing is another thing, we need the proper department to do scientific research on this, prove the usage properly, not just some user testimonia. That is the important step to put us on a bigger screen.

And so we require:
- research - which one is useful, or what recipe can be made into drink
- production method - how to farm them commercially
- processing method - ways to preserve its properties
- marketing - steps to create the demand

QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ May 25 2007, 07:35 PM)
hey brother... i am an Accounting guy turning to Aquaculture...

so i think both fields also are very big opportunities. 5 yrs down the road i plan to make at least RM 1,000,000.00

which i sincerely think its achievable.
*
smile.gif Thats the way I would want to go.

And nothing could stop you to earn more after you earn your first fish million. And hope you can write this down big enough for you to see it once everyday, and read it out loud every morning.



This post has been edited by rexis: May 29 2007, 02:00 PM
cplng
post May 29 2007, 11:11 PM

New Member
*
Junior Member
21 posts

Joined: May 2007
Newbie - to Lowyat as well as to Aquaculture.
Have always been wanting to find out more about Aquaculture, and thought this thread was the best thus far.
Have been looking at MalaysiaLand for some time already, STAC as well.
In fact, today (29th May) Star Paper, someone wanted to sell his aquaculture business in Semenyih. Check biz for sale.

I'm interested in the next meeting/get together. Always believe people with same ideas should rub shoulders together.

Let me know.
cheers.
cktwai
post May 30 2007, 11:35 AM

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QUOTE(cplng @ May 29 2007, 11:11 PM)
Newbie - to Lowyat as well as to Aquaculture.
Have always been wanting to find out more about Aquaculture, and thought this thread was the best thus far.
Have been looking at MalaysiaLand for some time already, STAC as well.
In fact, today (29th May) Star Paper, someone wanted to sell his aquaculture business in Semenyih. Check biz for sale.

I'm interested in the next meeting/get together. Always believe people with same ideas should rub shoulders together.

Let me know.
cheers.
*
Hi,

Not sure about the semenyih one but my friend (someone dealing with antibiotics for fishes and prawns) told me that have to becareful when buying ponds for prawn farming. Some areas are infected with disease.

TSParaOpticaL
post May 30 2007, 01:02 PM

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QUOTE(cplng @ May 29 2007, 11:11 PM)
Newbie - to Lowyat as well as to Aquaculture.
Have always been wanting to find out more about Aquaculture, and thought this thread was the best thus far.
Have been looking at MalaysiaLand for some time already, STAC as well.
In fact, today (29th May) Star Paper, someone wanted to sell his aquaculture business in Semenyih. Check biz for sale.

I'm interested in the next meeting/get together. Always believe people with same ideas should rub shoulders together.

Let me know.
cheers.
*
hi cplng,

thank you and hope you enjoyed the thread thus far.

about the biz for sale i have been there. am not sure about his REAL intention to sell the ponds. but his ponds are BEHIND Nirvana Memorial Park

selling around RM 120k+ if not mistaken.


QUOTE(cktwai @ May 30 2007, 11:35 AM)
Hi,

Not sure about the semenyih one but my friend (someone dealing with antibiotics for fishes and prawns) told me that have to becareful when buying ponds for prawn farming. Some areas are infected with disease.
*
very true. if you suspect someone selling very cheap and way below market must be careful.

if really buy also dont worry. just drain all the water and let it under the sun and kill the bacteria and disinfect it then should be ok.

--------------------------

i am putting my 1st batch of fishes in tentatively on the 11th June 2007

rexis
post May 30 2007, 04:43 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ May 30 2007, 01:02 PM)
about the biz for sale i have been there. am not sure about his REAL intention to sell the ponds. but his ponds are BEHIND Nirvana Memorial Park

selling around RM 120k+ if not mistaken.
very true. if you suspect someone selling very cheap and way below market must be careful.

if really buy also dont worry. just drain all the water and let it under the sun and kill the bacteria and disinfect it then should be ok.

--------------------------

i am putting my 1st batch of fishes in tentatively on the 11th June 2007
*
Not only applicable to pond, but to land or any property as well. Who knows the cheap land you bought actually was a JE pig burial ground...

If bought a non suitable pond(or land) for your prawns also nevermind, just find another suitable product, talapia? Or even use it to plant lotus(lotus has market). Remember, be flexible a bit.

First batch of what fish? You finally decided to breed sook hock?

AsiaPartTime
post May 31 2007, 09:19 AM

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wow sock hock is a big market man. send up to genting gotong jaya. very good market over there.
naim_mahmood
post May 31 2007, 09:35 AM

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QUOTE(AsiaPartTime @ May 31 2007, 09:19 AM)
wow sock hock is a big market man. send up to genting gotong jaya. very good market over there.
*
hi guys.

great action paraoptical.. u really make it real.

icon_rolleyes.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post May 31 2007, 02:53 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ May 30 2007, 04:43 PM)
Not only applicable to pond, but to land or any property as well. Who knows the cheap land you bought actually was a JE pig burial ground...

If bought a non suitable pond(or land) for your prawns also nevermind, just find another suitable product, talapia? Or even use it to plant lotus(lotus has market). Remember, be flexible a bit.

First batch of what fish? You finally decided to breed sook hock?
*
yes your thinking is very true. we as human must be flexible in our ventures no matter what.

i have 6 tanks but i start with 4 tanks 1st.

a) Soon Hock
b) Patin
c) Baung
d) Tilapia


QUOTE(AsiaPartTime @ May 31 2007, 09:19 AM)
wow sock hock is a big market man. send up to genting gotong jaya. very good market over there.
*
wah...Genting GohTong Jaya big market ar ?
hmm i must try to market there. drool.gif drool.gif
hehe
thanks

QUOTE(naim_mahmood @ May 31 2007, 09:35 AM)
hi guys.

great action paraoptical.. u really make it real.

icon_rolleyes.gif
*
thank you. hope it will work out. biggrin.gif
rexis
post Jun 13 2007, 08:53 AM

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Jatropha: The Biodiesel Tree Rush

Most of you must have heard about Malaysia's plan to add 5% palm oil into diesel to cut down fossil fuel, doesn't matter whats the intension is(environment or profit), this has no doubt created a whirlpool of biofuel rush in Malaysia.

And then the plans to make palm oil biodiesel and export them to Europe, however this has been set back by several factor:
- palm oil price sky rocketed from RM1600 to RM2500 per MT, making it meaningless to make a biodiesel that is so much more expensive then regular diesel
- Europian countries starting to boycott palm oil, they think that we kill off orang hutan, rain forest and unlocking carbon deposite of peat lands(means air pollution and global warming), so palm oil is not green at all.

So, until not so long ago, the agriworld magazine has posted a few articles about this plant, Jatropha. I believe that there are a few other source that was talking about this wonderful miracle biodiesel tree. This has catch attension on the agricultural community. Everybody will be interested to grab a piece from this biofuel pie, people are interested to know or even starting to plant Jatropha at their farm.

Indian has done so much promotion about this plant, that they will use its oil producing seed to replace part of their fossil fuel demand and protect the environment.

Jatropha profile:
- It is a drought resistance tree that can trive on almost any kind of soil, including rocky soil. The plant can widthstand up to 3 years of drought by shreding all its leaves.
- Jatropha seeds has oil content of 35%-50% which can be used to produce Jatropha oil, but due to that the oil is poisonious and non eatable, it is very suitable in making biodiesel, and no moral issue about food or fuel matter.
- Jatropha can be productive for up to 50 years.
- Jatropha can improve the soil quality by covering the barren land with fallen leaves and therefore create a layer of compost.

Jatropha advantages as promoted:
- Since it grows anywhere, it required little care, you can plant them on desert and some years later turning the place into a secondary forest + oil production.
- It is said that it can produce up to 1800 liters of oil per ha per year.
- It can improve soil condition, therefore suitable to plant on lands that unsuitable to other crops, like acidic soil, prevent corrosion, and all those environmental improvement benefits.

You can get more information over the internet, but such a benefitial plant, which almost perfect as a primary oil crop, will certainly welcomed by those so called "environmental concerned" european countries.

But some people are not getting the point here, by rushing into planting the plant, like there were some small scale plantation already planting Jatropha in Malaysia without even understand the plant properly, will only result in failure and end up with tons of useless seeds.

There are a few key factors that whoever want to plant this as a primary oil crop must know:

- India is the one who considering this plant, because india has a lot of dry land that do not receive rainfall and their people not even have enough water to drink, therefore drought resistance properties will be really useful to them. But Malaysia has plenty of rain, we have better option.
- It was intented to plant on poor soil condition, if you have a land in Malaysia here and decided to plant Jatropha, you might as well plant oil palm because our lands are more fertile, and produce at least 5 times more oil.
- Whats the point of environment protection if you still clearing forest to plant Jatropha? The european people wont like it either.
- WE DO NOT HAVE A MARKET FOR JATROPHA SEED/OIL. At the moment the main market for jatropha seeds is not for oil, but sell as planting material at a very high price.
- We do not have any factories that produce jatropha oil.
- In reality at India, Jatropha production never exceed 400 liters of oil per ha, this is close to soya bean, which is very disappointing, therefore the Jatropha profit return is more like made up figure.
- it is very hard to harvest the Jatropha fruit and very hard to extract the oil from the seeds, you also need to take the seeds out of the fruit as well, very labour intensive work.
- even though jatropha can survive on very harsh condition, proper irrigation and fertilizer still require to get a meaningful yield.
- Jatropha is not properly understood yet, it is relatively new crop.

Jatropha is suitable if
- it is planted as marginal plant, like by the roadside, surrounding your farm, and and you can produce the oil for your own/local use, whats the point spending more fuel to transport the fuel to far far away?
- you have a very large piece of barren land with infertile soil that unsuitable for any crops.
- plant one or two in your garden for decoration

Hopefully you learned something here biggrin.gif

Reference: Journey to forever mail group

This post has been edited by rexis: Jun 27 2007, 03:54 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jun 26 2007, 07:07 PM

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wow this is the 'new' Jatropha Biofuel...

thanks for the invaluable info.
rexis
post Jun 27 2007, 06:00 PM

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Time to bumb this thread a bit.

Lets talk about some non-conventional crops.

Castor Plant

Castor seed has a high oil content of around 50% of weight ratio therefore castor often planted for the oil. Castor oil is one of the oldest traded goods in human history, evidence discovered that it is traded over 5000 years ago in Egypt as a lamp oil.

Castor oil is a unique kind of oil due to the oil structure, and it is the only vegetable oil that is soluble in alcohol. Its chemical properties make it a very useful industrial raw material in industrials like cosmetic, food, paint, and engine lubricant. The famous Castrol get its name from the plant, castor oil can bond to the metal part evently and very consistance in viciousity over different range of temperature, as well as a very low solidfying point of 15 degree C.

The main producer of castor oil of the world is india and china, mainly export to europe and united states. Castor plants used to be planted in United States as an annual crop but it was stopped somewhere in the 60's for certain reason and nowadays it grew as a fast growing weed along the highways of USA.

Castor plant has been notorious due to their poison ricin, ricin is said to be the most poisonious natural poison, 12000 times more poisonious then king cobra venom and 6000 times then cynide. It is said that it only take one fruit(3 seeds) to kill a child. Due to the poisonious properties ricin has been an option in chemical warfare, assasination, and terrorist activities. Perhaps this is why USA stop planting this crop.

Castor plant grow on well drained and slightly acidic soil, it is drought resistance and fast growing. A larger kind of species can reach over 20 feet in height in only a summer season before the frost come in and kill it. And the smaller species is only about 5 feet. In tropical countries it is often seen growing in wild and cleared land like idle housing land and beside monsoon drain.

Obviously planting a crop you need to secure a market for it, before you ever considering this crop other then decoration plant, you should make sure there is a demand first. Basically it is uncommon to invest this crop in Malaysia.

You can sometimes seen this plant in the wild or near the longkang. Its leaves range from dark green to a beautiful red colour, the young seed pod looks like young rambutan fruit and when it is ripe and dried, the seed inside the pod looks like a miniature rubber tree seed, together with the beautiful stripe on top, therefore extreme caution is needed if for any reason there is a few castor plants near your neighbourhood, especially kids.

Castor oil is also being promoted as a possible source of biofuel due the the high oil content and non ediable oil. The castor oil is very visious even after esterification(ie convert to biodiesel), it is 100 times more vicious then regular diesel, but there is always ways to make it run in a diesel engine.

Just a note, interestingly, castor oil do not contain the ricin poison, as ricin is water soluble and insoluable in oil. So ricin is left in seedcake during oil press process.

To know more, read the following:
Castor Wiki

biggrin.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Jul 12 2007, 02:59 PM

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This herb is 1st grown by the Japanese. Read from a Herb magazine very difficult to be planted here but it had been done before.

-----------------------------

IMMORTALITY HERB


Source : WiKiPeDiA

Gynostemma pentaphyllum, also called jiaogulan (Chinese: 绞股蓝; Pinyin: jiǎogǔlán) is an herbaceous vine of the family Cucurbitaceae (cucumber or gourd family) indigenous to the southern reaches of China, southern Korea and Japan. Jiaogulan is best known as an herbal medicine reputed to have powerful antioxidant and adaptogenic effects that increase longevity.
Contents


Uses

Jiaogulan is used as a natural sweetener in Japan and is known as an adaptogen and antioxidant and has been found to increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) which is a powerful endogenous cellular antioxidant. Studies have found it increases the activities of macrophages, T lymphocytes and natural killer cells and that it acts as a tumor inhibitor. Due to its adaptogenic effects it is frequently referred to as "Southern Ginseng," although it is not closely related to true Panax ginseng. Its adaptogenic constituents include the triterpenoid saponins gypenosides which are closely structurally related to the ginsenosides from the well-known medicinal plant ginseng. It has been shown to lower cholesterol levels in human studies.

The plant is best known for its use as an herbal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine, although its inclusion in Wu Qi-Jun's 1848 botany book Zhi Wu Ming Shi Tu Kao Chang Bian discusses a few medicinal uses and seems to be the earliest known documentation of the herb. Prior to that, Jiaogulan was cited as a survival food in Zu Xio's 1406 book Materia Medica for Famine. Until recently it was a locally known herb used primarily in regions of southern China. It is described by the local inhabitants as the immortality herb, because people within the Guizhou Province, where jiaogulan tea is drunk regularly, have a history of living to a very old age.Most research has been done since the 1960s when the Chinese realized that it might be an inexpensive source for adaptogenic compounds, taking pressure off of ginseng stock.

Adaptogenic herbs are nontoxic in normal doses, produce a nonspecific defensive response to stress, and have a normalizing influence on the body. They normalize the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). As defined, adaptogens constitute a new class of natural, homeostatic metabolic regulators. However they are also functional at the level of allostasis which is a more dynamic reaction to long term stress, lacking the fixed reference points of homeostasis. Jiaogulan is a calming adaptogen which is also useful in formula with codonopsis for jet lag and altitude sickness.


Alternate names


Western languages such as English and German commonly refer to the plant as jiaogulan. Other names include:

* Chinese: xiancao (仙草, literally "immortal grass"; more accurately "herb of immortality")
* English: five-leaf ginseng, poor man's ginseng, miracle grass, fairy herb, sweet tea vine, gospel herb
* Japanese: amachazuru (kanji: 甘茶蔓; hiragana: あまちゃずる; literally amacha=sweet, cha=tea, zuru=vine)
* Korean language: dungkulcha (덩굴차) or dolwe (돌외)
* Latin: Gynostemma pentaphyllum or Vitis pentaphyllum
* Thai: jiaogulan (เจียวกู่หลาน)
* Vietnamese: Giảo cổ lam

One U.S.-based company markets jiaogulan under the name "Panta". At least one U.S. company markets jiaogulan under the name "Penta Concentrate" for lowering cholesterol.
rexis
post Jul 23 2007, 01:44 PM

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Home grown vege for everyone

Everybody talk about commercial farming, about some large scale plantation that using machines to do all the works, and actually, we mostly as normal consumers, are the one eating the product, so what are we eating actually? Vitamin sellers will scare you by saying that you are like eating tissue paper, organic sellers will take the opportunities to sell you expensive vege and frighten you with pesticide and fertilizer stories, and we are so paranoid that we scrub and wash every single piece of vege leaves fearing something alien is hidden within...

So, you happened to have a small space with sunlight, or even just an idle window at your apartment, yes, you can do it, you can grow your own vegetable!

There are two ways to go

Garden farming
You have an empty garden, idle soil, and decided to make some use and do some workout, very well! There you go!

Lets start with a little shopping list first, note you might be able to utilize your available garden tools!
- shovel or cangkul(ACE hardware or DIY store)
- support sticks(chop from roadside bushes or buy PVC tubes)
- sun block netting(optional, try ask in DIY store)
- chicken dropping(composted or dried, can buy from those gardening shop)
- organic fertilizer(can use composted chicken sh!t too)
- sowing kit(those square plate we used to take food in Mcdonal, coconut husk, gardening shop)
- last but not least, seeds, off course.(hypermarket, gardening shop, or even seeds vendor)

Grab your cangkul or shovel and start to loosen the soil, and spread the chicken dropping in as base fertilizer, arrange your soil to make a long bed of bumb, and then wait, let the soil and fertilizer settle down a bit. Now go to your 2nd step, sowing(aka nursing).

First use an old cloth and soak it in water then squezz it to half dry, use it to cover the seeds you are going to plant and leave it overnite, this will like wake up the seeds from deep sleep and it will start to grow into seedlings.

Then prepare the plates filled with coconut husk, and also make sure its wet, insert the seeds. Maintain the moisture until young leaves pop out. You can use cardboard to devide the coconut husk into smaller boxes so you can seperate them easier, or use small containers/plastic bags filled with husk, use your creativity here.

A week later, young seedlings should be poping out from the husk, but they wont last long that way, water alone is not enough, the coconut husk do not contain any nutrition, so its time to move them into soil! First discard any seedlings tat looks unhealthy or small, only use the strong one.

After the selection, what you do is simply plant the seedlings into the soil and water them, water them regularily or according to weather(eg, rain means no need water) and apply chicken dropping compost weekly for vigorious growth, do not over fertilized it thou, when the plant looks sick, means something is lacking or too much.

About the supporting stick and sunblock netting, its all according to the choice of vegetable you have, for example bitter gourd will need some supporting sticks to crawl on, and sawi will need sun block netting to advoid sun burn.

This is actually a very simple guide, about how much/how to apply fertilizer, how much water, how many plants in one unit area, when harvest.... this, you will find out in the process of home vegetable growing. Enjoy!

There are a few more tips thou:
- if you garden soil quality is poor, like harden clay or sand, mix organic matter into it, like coconut husk or potting compost, this will improve water retention and air ventilation.
- cover a layer of coconut husk/dried grass on top of your soil to retain moisture.
- you might encounter some other insects trying to share your crop, there is no need to spray shieldtox or use pesticide, simply hand pick them(or use a clip) away since its not a big farm so its a feasible way.
- there are plant suppliment available in store to make your crop grow bigger and better, furthermore they are organic.

Now what i just mentioned is simply growing vege in your own garden, what if you do not have a garden? Or your garden has no soil? Very easy, lets go hydroponic then... tbc.

This post has been edited by rexis: Jul 23 2007, 03:56 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Aug 1 2007, 03:00 PM

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RM1.6b push for industry
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?f...4263&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Another ambitious national plan in the aquaculture industry worth RM1.6bil will be introduced by the end of the year.

It involves 39 projects spread over 25,000ha of land in all states for the farming of prawns, cockles, crabs and other types of marine produce.

"It is a government-initiated programme but driven by the private sector. I am liberal and a bit more flexible on these projects.

"Locals and foreign investors are welcome to participate," Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin told reporters at the National Fishermen Association (Persatuan Nelayan Kebangsaan, Nekmat) annual general meeting.

He said the Government would invest RM300mil to build the primary infrastructure.

Asked if investors would be subjected to any affirmative-action plan, Muhyiddin stressed that it would be an open project to spur the aquaculture industry and help double production to about 600,000 tonnes a year.

The ministry had enlisted a merchant bank to prepare a prospectus for each of the 39 projects.

The prospectuses, which will list out, among other things, the project viability, marketing and financial analyses, are expected to be ready by the end of the year.

If things go as planned, the projects will start by the middle of next year.

Earlier, Muhyiddin called on fishermen to embrace change and be ready to be "transformed".

"Malay fishermen have this emotional thing about wanting to own boats. As long as they have one, they are happy. But not many fully utilise the boats to catch fish.

"Under the transformation programme, we urge fishermen to form small groups to co-own bigger and better boats. They can venture out into deeper waters to catch fish," he said.
rexis
post Aug 14 2007, 02:54 PM

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ishh ishh, when i google for mushroom growing information, it lead back to here....
kelvintan_mobile
post Aug 18 2007, 07:21 PM

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Hi i am new here , interested in managing aquaculture / agri also . paraoptical how s the progress of ur farm? n hope u dont mind me asking , are u full time , if not wat is ur job ??
TSParaOpticaL
post Aug 29 2007, 08:25 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Aug 14 2007, 02:54 PM)
ishh ishh, when i google for mushroom growing information, it lead back to here....
*
yo rexis brother...

there is a mushroom course going on @ Tampin.
saw it in the AgroWorld.

another thing is there is another agri magazine no colour also providing mushroom course, but i dont have the details.


rexis
post Aug 29 2007, 11:05 AM

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No problem bro, i am not worrying about raising mushroom, they are selling those mushroom kit for RM1.20 each, u just need to water it and wait. Besides, most suppliers will teach you how you grow your seeds(make sense to do long term business).

Soon Hock Raising Techniques

(Summarised from AgriWorld Feb 2006)

Soon Hock scientific name is Oxyeleotris Marmoratus, it can grow up to 60cm and 5-6kg, it is a kind of predatoric fish, shade loving, prefer to hide among the rocks and seldom swim around. Compare to other predatoric fish(eg, arowana, piranha) it is quite tame, and usually just stay idle and motionless in water, only when their food(small prawn, fish) get near them, they will be fierce and able to hunt their prey with great agility and speed. It is suitable in water temperature 25-30 degree celcius, PH 7-8.5, salt density 10-15ppt.

There are a lot of prawn farmers raising soon hock in Teluk Jaya, Johor, but due to being a commercial secret, they kept low profile on what they are doing. A prawn farmer from there informed the writer that he actually have farmed soon hock for few years. according to him, for fish seeds of 20-30 fish per kg will take one year to grow up to 800-1000g with >80% survival. Recently the low price of tiger prawn has caused many prawn farmers switched to soon hock.

Soon hock feed on different kind of food in different stage of their life. For 1.5 - 2.5cm size, they feed on Moina or Daphia copepod live culture, when they reach 5cm size, they can feed on small prawns and red worms. When the young soon hocks reach 12-14cm and weight 30-50g each, under farming condition we can start to tame and feed them with man made food, and feed them with fresh chopped fish or sinking fish feed.

Under good water condition,
- 2-2.5cm size will take 1 month to grow to 4-5cm size
- 4-5cm size will take 4-5 months to grow to 12cm/30-50g
- 30-50g size will take 6 months to reach above 600g, which is the marketable size.
- it will take 12-14 months to complete each cycle.

There are two way to farm Soon Hock:

1) net cage, using PE fish net, 30-50g fish seed can be kept in 1.5cm(hole size) of net cage, which 100g fish seed can stay in 2.5cm net cage. Each net cage can use either 3mx4m or 4mx6m with deep 1.2m size, the edge should be 20cm above water surface, which there should be at least more then 20cm from the bottom(of pond). You can place net cage at river, mine lake, or pond. Farming density should be:
- 30-40 fish per meter cube for 30-50g size
- 15-20 fish per meter cube for 80g size
Each net cage should have two feeding baskets(perhaps means you put the feed on top and lower them into water with a rope etc), feed once daily, and check and clean the feeding baskets every morning.

2) pond farming, usually each pond hv 2000-4000 square meters, with depth of 1.2m, fish density 4.5 fish per square meter, place some PVC tube in the pond for the fish to hide. Each pond of similar size can put in 500 river prawn or river fish which can form a food chain. Prawns not only a very good soon hock food, but can help to clean up food residue as well, therefore maintain the water quality.

(the author is from Sepang Today Aquaculture)
(actually the article also mentioned about breeding your own fish seed, bt why not just get them directly from supplier first)

smile.gif

Case Study

Paraopticfarm (our thread starter farm)

Para rented a land with a river passing by, he has laid concrete floor and placed large water tank and prepared to raise fish. He recently got a batch of soon hock fish seed and wondering how to take care of them.

According to the info above, we can get an idea about what is the fish density we should use:
- 30-40 fish per meter cube for 30-50g size
- 15-20 fish per meter cube for 80g size
This is for a pond, so for fish container with all the water processing system/filter, we should try to look at higher density, just try to add 20% more fish then the recommended density and try out, do regular observation and so on, you can try to double the population but you might get lower survival rate.

And we need to make some place for the fish to hide, as recommended above, PVC tube can be a good choice, the article didnt say a thing about do we need to use different PVC size for different fish size so i am assuming one size fits all, use those big PVC tube which usually we use for water drainage, cut them into like 2.5 feet long and tie them in one big bunch like how we tie up a bunch of dynamite then sink them into water. (It really feel like building fish condo now!) Also try not to make the opening facing each other, the purpose of hiding is not to see others, but this is just imho.

You have to make sure the PVC tube do not block the water circulation thou.

Feed the fish as recommended above, about where to get those fish feed:
- try if you can net any tiny fish tadpodes from the river that running thru your land
- get fish discards(fish heads, etc) from fish cake factory daily
- use ready made fish feed, train your soon hock to adapt to them
- once a while, feed your fish with nutricious meal, like redworm, mealworm, etc. Normally not recommended to get them from a petshop thou you can find them there, try get a distributor for bulk ordering. If you have the time, you can even consider breeding your own mealworm colony!

If you considering mixing in fresh water prawns/fish into the tank, i think not, because it is already pretty packed and thurs i dont think the small fish/prawns will stand a change. Perhaps keep them at another tank, keep them healthy so they start multiplying and thurs provide you part of the fish food. Theres another article that a soon hock farmer actually putting adult talapia in his fish pond so the talapia will produce small talapia, and thus soon hock will hv extra fresh food, he is decorating his pond as natural as possible.

(disclaimer: the case study is purely a direct analysis of the information available, I am not a professional fish farmer therefore the above are just IMHO.)

This post has been edited by rexis: Aug 29 2007, 01:32 PM
questnetter
post Aug 30 2007, 10:45 AM

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Hi ParaOptical,

Glad to hear that u've ventured into aquaculture business. I just noticed this thread today and amazingly saw my previous posting in other threads being quoted here. I am actually a software engineer, currently working in KL. My father owns the fish hatchery and livestock farm in Sandakan, Sabah.

Just to share the latest updates from his farm this month:
1. Successfully produced the largest batch of Tiger Grouper (Kerapu Harimau) so far, totalled around 200k pieces! Sold 130k pieces of 2-3 inches in size to a HongKong company but based in Sandakan. The selling price was rm3.50 per piece and got a potential of selling at rm100 per piece one year later when they export to HongKong during the Olympics period. There's a high demand of sea-water fish in HongKong and China now. So, it's a great opportunities for fish farming.
2. Just sold 60k pieces of Siakap seedlings also 2-3 inches in size to Lawas yesterday.

Too bad you are not breeding sea-water fish, otherwise i can help you to arrange for some stocks from my father. smile.gif Hey, as i know, you may also consider Siakap, since Siakap can be converted into fresh water or sea-water anytime. Trust me, the fish from us will never taste anything like mud because we are rearing it at the sea and not in mud pond.

Heard that u r planning to meet the professor in Sabah University. In fact, he is a friend of my father, and visited our farm a few times. He praised the quality of the baby fish also. The Uni also requested to place a few students to do industrial training at our hatchery farm. Hahaha.

Well, if any of you interested to venture into aquaculture business, you may ask me any question anytime.
TSParaOpticaL
post Sep 3 2007, 11:13 AM

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QUOTE(kelvintan_mobile @ Aug 18 2007, 07:21 PM)
Hi  i am new here , interested in managing aquaculture / agri also . paraoptical how s the progress of ur farm? n hope u dont mind me asking , are u full time , if not wat is ur job ??
*
welcome to the thread kelvintan_mobile.

just started re-planting after finding out that my soil too acidic until the plant is cacat
so remedy it with Organic Fertiliser.

now planting some herbs from my house and see how it will be.

my present full time job is not important.

biggrin.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Sep 5 2007, 09:16 AM

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will be going to my farm later in the afternoon.

will update with some pictures for your viewing and some pic of the tanks and herbs that i am growing... biggrin.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Sep 18 2007, 09:37 AM

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hi,

updates as promised.

rearing some :-

a) Soon Hock - started 18/8/07
b) Tilapia - started 13/9/07
c) Jelawat - started 13/9/07
d) Patin - started 13/9/07

let's see how things go from here.



1) user posted image

2) user posted image

3) user posted image

4) user posted image

5) user posted image

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Sep 18 2007, 06:21 PM
rexis
post Sep 18 2007, 10:14 AM

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whao your soon hock so big already? I thought u r buying some tiny fish baby.

I read about an article that the fish farmer keeping some mature talapia in his soon hock pool to breed up some baby talapia for the soon hock as snack. Consider that too.

And since u said u hv a river nearby? So water shouldn't be an issue, try change water a lot instead of relying heavily on filter, and also try to figure out a way to harness the river energy to pump your water(water mill, gravity, etc) it is really a good idea to lower your utility bill.

This post has been edited by rexis: Sep 18 2007, 10:17 AM
kelvintan_mobile
post Sep 18 2007, 11:07 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Sep 18 2007, 09:37 AM)
hi,

updates as promised.

rearing some :-

a) Soon Hock - started 18/8/07
b) Tilapia - started 13/9/07
c) Jelawat - started 13/9/07
d) Patin - started 13/9/07

let's see how things go from here.
user posted image

user posted image

user posted image

user posted image

user posted image
*
looks interesting!! , pls update us with more pics when they grow bigger . u found buyers ad?


QUOTE(rexis @ Sep 18 2007, 10:14 AM)
whao your soon hock so big already? I thought u r buying some tiny fish baby.

I read about an article that the fish farmer keeping some mature talapia in his soon hock pool to breed up some baby talapia for the soon hock as snack. Consider that too.

And since u said u hv a river nearby? So water shouldn't be an issue, try change water a lot instead of relying heavily on filter, and also try to figure out a way to harness the river energy to pump your water(water mill, gravity, etc) it is really a good idea to lower your utility bill.
*
harnessing the energy ? is there a device to do so in the market ad?? sounds interesting to me as im an 3rd year engineering student who studied energy harnessing. if theres no such device , i would love to create a prototype to make small buck , hehe.
rexis
post Sep 18 2007, 11:46 AM

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QUOTE(kelvintan_mobile @ Sep 18 2007, 11:07 AM)
harnessing the energy ? is there a device to do so in the market ad?? sounds interesting to me as im an 3rd year engineering student who studied energy harnessing. if theres no such device , i would love to create a prototype to make small buck , hehe.
*
Haha, dun imagin a complicated generator with one end dip in the river and another end hook up with power cables. Im just talking about some plain mechanical water mill that use river flow to spin a pump or something, there isnt any commercial design on the market as far as i know. Perhaps you can really work out some design and prototype! Remember, our country is doing lots of agriculture and we are having lots of river too, tats a big market for it.

Its nothing too complicated, serious, i hv seen(book, tv, natgeo) bamboo water pump that able to scoop water and pour them on a higher point to a leading bamboo pipe and lead it to padi field, theres even a fish catcher that able to scoop up salmon from river using the river flow energy.
kelvintan_mobile
post Sep 18 2007, 01:38 PM

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haha , i c ic .. dint know got simple way , too , thx , will look up on the internet.
TSParaOpticaL
post Sep 18 2007, 03:48 PM

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QUOTE(kelvintan_mobile @ Sep 18 2007, 11:07 AM)
looks interesting!! , pls update us with more pics when they grow bigger . u found buyers ad?

harnessing the energy ? is there a device to do so in the market ad?? sounds interesting to me as im an 3rd year engineering student who studied energy harnessing. if theres no such device , i would love to create a prototype to make small buck , hehe.
*
havent found buyers yet. still early. maybe in 3 mths time will start looking...


harnessing the energy he meant was relative. he meant using gravity and nature to get water to the tanks so save on utility.

actually its a good idea. but my pumps and filters are there for different reasons and the tanks do have a pipe.

biggrin.gif
cktwai
post Sep 18 2007, 04:57 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Sep 18 2007, 03:48 PM)
havent found buyers yet. still early. maybe in 3 mths time will start looking...
harnessing the energy he meant was relative. he meant using gravity and nature to get water to the tanks so save on utility.

actually its a good idea. but my pumps and filters are there for different reasons and the tanks do have a pipe.

biggrin.gif
*
dude the water looks a bit cloudy... is it normal to be like that? smile.gif or is it reflecting your roof's colour
TSParaOpticaL
post Sep 18 2007, 06:07 PM

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QUOTE(cktwai @ Sep 18 2007, 04:57 PM)
dude the water looks a bit cloudy... is it normal to be like that? smile.gif or is it reflecting your roof's colour
*
which picture are you referring to ?
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post Sep 18 2007, 06:26 PM

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Certainly is an interesting and nice field to adventure.
rexis
post Sep 19 2007, 11:24 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Sep 18 2007, 03:48 PM)
havent found buyers yet. still early. maybe in 3 mths time will start looking...
harnessing the energy he meant was relative. he meant using gravity and nature to get water to the tanks so save on utility.

actually its a good idea. but my pumps and filters are there for different reasons and the tanks do have a pipe.

biggrin.gif
*
Once u got good product, dun worry about buyers smile.gif

If u say that ur pump is there to supply oxygen, consider adding more twist or maybe some stair case in the leading in water to create more swirl, it helps. Of course, mechanical pump is desire for constant supply, but I think your fish density is not tat high yet.

QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Sep 18 2007, 06:07 PM)
which picture are you referring to ?
*
I think he means all the pic except the first one, why so milky ah? But as far as i know, in nature, water usually wont be crystal clear.
TSParaOpticaL
post Sep 19 2007, 03:31 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Sep 19 2007, 11:24 AM)
Once u got good product, dun worry about buyers smile.gif

If u say that ur pump is there to supply oxygen, consider adding more twist or maybe some stair case in the leading in water to create more swirl, it helps. Of course, mechanical pump is desire for constant supply, but I think your fish density is not tat high yet.

I think he means all the pic except the first one, why so milky ah? But as far as i know, in nature, water usually wont be crystal clear.
*
yeah actually not worried about the market yet. more worried about the well being of the fish as i had only started for 1 month. will update when available.

actually there is a outlet to create whirlwind in the tank so its like going round and round.

for the picture the pump was not on 100% capacity thus you still find the water is bit murky but now its better. i just came back from place and the water is quite clear though obviously not crystal clear.

hehe

TSParaOpticaL
post Sep 19 2007, 05:16 PM

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This Patin died because it was CARNIVORED. sigh...add more feed to them.

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strace
post Sep 19 2007, 08:59 PM

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Is anyone into goat farming?
beh_yo_rabbitry
post Sep 19 2007, 11:48 PM

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Hello to all senior members. I am Beh. I breed Pet rabbit. I have involved in rabbitry since 2004. Now my farm in Semenyih.

I am interested in fish farming also.
TSParaOpticaL
post Sep 20 2007, 08:22 AM

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QUOTE(beh_yo_rabbitry @ Sep 19 2007, 11:48 PM)
Hello to all senior members. I am Beh. I breed Pet rabbit. I have involved in rabbitry since 2004. Now my farm in Semenyih.

I am interested in fish farming also.
*
welcome to the forum...

is your farm along the main road of Semenyih ?
opposite a drug rehab centre ?
rexis
post Sep 20 2007, 04:18 PM

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QUOTE(strace @ Sep 19 2007, 08:59 PM)
Is anyone into goat farming?
*
Got a few articles about goat farming, interested? Basically if u are interested i have some contacts and so on here. Also refer to this following website, they just got updated quite recently, more info then my last visit a few months back.

http://jamnapari.com/index_e.html

Basically our gov is encouraging people to get into goat farm, as our mutton is mainly relying on import market(>97%), by getting into goat farm you have a few source of income:

Meat
Most of our mutton are relying on import stock, a whopping 97% of them(last year data), this implies a very big market potential for local market alone. Of course, your farm need to be efficient enough, and with the proper economical scale to really compete with imported cheap mutton.

Milk
1kg of goat milk is being sold for around RM20, but drinking goat milk is not as common as cow milk, this mean that the exsisting consumer market is small, but this also mean that the potential of goat milk is still have a lot of room to grow, hard work and dedication required, of course. Some nutritional facts about goat milk is those people who allergy to cow milk might be able to torelate goat milk, as it is a little bit easier to digest.

Breed
Breeding goat to sell to people who want to set up a goat farm or whatever purpose, usually selling kid(baby goat), adult goat for breeding purpose. They must be selected to ensure healthy and strong. Breed goats are very expensive, their kids is sort of like a side income thou.

Your farm can focus on any single topic above, for example, breed goat solely for milking. Or you can do everything above: sell weaker goats for meat, breed goats for sell or expand ur farm, milk those goats tat just had kids, etc.

Heres one case study about a guy who work on a cow farm, he buy in young cow and feed them for a few months, then sell off as meat cow. So he focus on feeding the cow and keep them clean only. This might apply on goats.

QUOTE(beh_yo_rabbitry @ Sep 19 2007, 11:48 PM)
Hello to all senior members. I am Beh. I breed Pet rabbit. I have involved in rabbitry since 2004. Now my farm in Semenyih.

I am interested in fish farming also.
*
Great to have a rabbit expert here smile.gif Lets be reminded that pet market is also part of agriculture, be it pet fish, pet rabbig, hamster, pet frog, etc etc.

I know semenyih got a ostrich farm too. Near there? Pet rabbit means u r not supplying stocks to kajang satay biggrin.gif

This post has been edited by rexis: Sep 20 2007, 04:51 PM
beh_yo_rabbitry
post Sep 21 2007, 03:09 AM

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[quote=ParaOpticaL,Sep 20 2007, 08:22 AM]welcome to the forum...

is your farm along the main road of Semenyih ?
opposite a drug rehab centre ?
*

[/quote]


My farm is situated at Jalan Hulu Rinching2, is about 5 minutes from the town. My neighbour is a huge rabbit farm. They supply rabbit meat. I only breed pure breed for pet. You all are welcome to visit my farm.


Added on September 21, 2007, 3:12 am

I know semenyih got a ostrich farm too. Near there? Pet rabbit means u r not supplying stocks to kajang satay biggrin.gif
*

[/quote]

Not near the ostrich farm. My farm at Rinching. I am not breeding rabbit for meat. I breed rabbit for pet.

I am really happy that i can know you all are really support agriculture sectore. Now a day, not many young man interested to involve in agriculture.

This post has been edited by beh_yo_rabbitry: Sep 21 2007, 03:14 AM
kelvintan_mobile
post Sep 21 2007, 08:45 AM

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[quote=beh_yo_rabbitry,Sep 21 2007, 03:09 AM]
My farm is situated at Jalan Hulu Rinching2, is about 5 minutes from the town. My neighbour is a huge rabbit farm. They supply rabbit meat. I only breed pure breed for pet. You all are welcome to visit my farm.


Added on September 21, 2007, 3:12 am

I know semenyih got a ostrich farm too. Near there? Pet rabbit means u r not supplying stocks to kajang satay biggrin.gif
*

[/quote]

Not near the ostrich farm. My farm at Rinching. I am not breeding rabbit for meat. I breed rabbit for pet.

I am really happy that i can know you all are really support agriculture sectore. Now a day, not many young man interested to involve in agriculture.
*

[/quote]


hi is ur rabbit breeding ur main source of income? can describe abit about difficulty, experience , whether its a good prospect to venture into agri aqua , how much capital u put in ? thank u
TSParaOpticaL
post Sep 21 2007, 08:47 AM

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QUOTE(beh_yo_rabbitry @ Sep 21 2007, 03:09 AM)

I am really happy that i can know you all are really support agriculture sectore. Now a day, not many young man interested to involve in agriculture.

*
actually a lot of people are interested in the Agriculture n Aquaculture sector. but not much exposure and the info is NOT readily available. we have to go by trial and error.

hope the govt can change this so info can be readily available
rexis
post Sep 21 2007, 10:37 AM

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Yeah, rabbitry guy, can provide some insights? Much appreciated! Btw, how good is rabbit droppings as fertilizer?

Gov websites play a vital role of providing information, but they are not that properly maintained, but still its better then nothing. For example it took 10mins just to load that sabah agriculture dept website, not much info inside, but got some financial plans and economics for planting certain types of crops, not sure if the content update enough to reflect nowadays price or not, but at least they give you some idea what you need to budget.

By simply putting up "agri is businss" banner wont help much, it is up to one person's initiative. If one is really interested about fish farm, he will not sit there and wait fish come to him, he will go out and find out about it.

May i ask, whats the difference of interest in agriculture or any field, and interest in money?

Lets me tell a story..

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «


Agriculture is business. So, hey, are you interested in the business part or the agriculture part?

Example, our thread host, paraOptical, I talked so much about chili, sweet corn, blah, hes determined to raise fish, I can see he is most interested in tat field.

This post has been edited by rexis: Sep 21 2007, 11:42 AM
strace
post Sep 21 2007, 11:41 AM

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thanks for the info rexis, looking through it now. but sometimes i dont get it, goat price is all jack up because of breeding demand is it? The price won't be as good after few years later I guess. I'm still not known of goat meat standard price yet. When I checked with http://www.flfam.org.my it doesn't include goat meat in the pricing.
Currently I'm looking more into Boer breed, Jamnapari a different breed because from what I noticed it looked like a llama than a goat when it is fully mature. Not much info from the internet for Jamnapari though, maybe I'll try with different keywords.
rexis
post Sep 21 2007, 11:57 AM

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QUOTE(strace @ Sep 21 2007, 11:41 AM)
thanks for the info rexis, looking through it now. but sometimes i dont get it, goat price is all jack up because of breeding demand is it? The price won't be as good after few years later I guess. I'm still not known of goat meat standard price yet. When I checked with http://www.flfam.org.my it doesn't include goat meat in the pricing.
Currently I'm looking more into Boer breed, Jamnapari a different breed because from what I noticed it looked like a llama than a goat when it is fully mature. Not much info from the internet for Jamnapari though, maybe I'll try with different keywords.
*
Jamnapari afaik is a hybrid breed from indonesia, they grow bigger, faster, and can milk. I think they are expensive as they are still scarce and mainly for breeding purpose. For the goat meat price, if i were you, I will go to wherever you can find mutton to query for their supplier and from there you find out about their price. That would be mamak stall, western food, etc etc.

Goat price actually depends on the breed, if local 'kacang' breed, I thinkn it cost around RM40-70 each. And breeding goat of course cost more, as it takes longer for goats to mature then to reach marketable size. I hear say that gov will provide you goats(not thouse bizzare breed of course) if you willing to start a goat farm, but not sure about the details.

You didnt see a price for local goat meat there because really little people breed goat for meat locally, 97% rely on imports, what you think?

Internet... limited agriculture info, especially practical one, must go into field and get your hands dirty smile.gif

This post has been edited by rexis: Sep 21 2007, 12:04 PM
beh_yo_rabbitry
post Sep 21 2007, 12:11 PM

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QUOTE(kelvintan_mobile @ Sep 21 2007, 08:45 AM)
hi is ur rabbit breeding ur main source of income? can describe abit about difficulty, experience , whether its a good prospect to venture into agri aqua , how much capital u put in ? thank u
*
Now, the rabbit farm is my part time only. Now i am expanding the farm, start import show quality buck and doe from over sea to breed.

Difficulty: not enough money. and our weather is really challenging.
I have invested more than 80k. Still putting in money.....
I involved in pet rabbit sector because not many people involved. My aim is the largest pure breed pet rabbit farm in Malaysia. Hope can achieve it.


Added on September 21, 2007, 12:16 pm
QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Sep 21 2007, 08:47 AM)
actually a lot of people are interested in the Agriculture n Aquaculture sector. but not much exposure and the info is NOT readily available. we have to go by trial and error.

hope the govt can change this so info can be readily available
*
My experience is we have to do own research by internet and books and try.
I have learnt a lot of farm management, animal nutrition and etc in university, mostly is poultry and dairy farm. Never learnt about rabbit. I went through many books and internet, see how oversea people breed the rabbit, how to build the farm house, what to feed and many more.
I also applied what i have learnt in university about poultry and dairy, modified a bit then applied in my farm.
Never depends on Government, better depends on ourself.

This post has been edited by beh_yo_rabbitry: Sep 21 2007, 12:16 PM
kelvintan_mobile
post Sep 21 2007, 12:46 PM

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QUOTE(beh_yo_rabbitry @ Sep 21 2007, 12:11 PM)
Now, the rabbit farm is my part time only. Now i am expanding the farm, start import show quality buck and doe from over sea to breed.

Difficulty: not enough money. and our weather is really challenging.
I have invested more than 80k. Still putting in money.....
I involved in pet rabbit sector because not many people involved. My aim is the largest pure breed pet rabbit farm in Malaysia. Hope can achieve it.
partime? so who take care of the daily affairs of this farm since u do it parttime? food for rabbit , cleaning, etc.. ?
rexis
post Sep 21 2007, 02:40 PM

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QUOTE(beh_yo_rabbitry @ Sep 21 2007, 12:11 PM)
Now, the rabbit farm is my part time only. Now i am expanding the farm, start import show quality buck and doe from over sea to breed.

Difficulty: not enough money. and our weather is really challenging.
I have invested more than 80k. Still putting in money.....
I involved in pet rabbit sector because not many people involved. My aim is the largest pure breed pet rabbit farm in Malaysia. Hope can achieve it.
Ahh, a part timer. I know in KK, Sabah, the weekly market at Gaya Street there a lot of pet rabbit stall. No idea where they breed their rabbit, but perhaps you can have an idea where to look for interaction among local 'rabbitrier'.

I dont know too much about rabbit, but I do understand that the entire autralia continent do have rabbit problem and is one of their major agriculture pest(like mice problem in oil palm plantation), which started from some old time colony westerner that brought in rabbits as their hunting game, the rabbits escaped and over breed, autralia climate is somewhat hot and dry, perhaps you can look for some suitable breed from there?

Do Malaysia have any local rabbit species? Cross breed them smile.gif Or perhaps breed the rabbits for a few generation, their kids might be more torelate to malaysian climate. - Got this conclusion from an article about breeding earthworm tongue.gif

This post has been edited by rexis: Sep 21 2007, 02:53 PM
beh_yo_rabbitry
post Sep 22 2007, 12:54 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Sep 21 2007, 10:37 AM)
Yeah, rabbitry guy, can provide some insights? Much appreciated! Btw, how good is rabbit droppings as fertilizer?

Gov websites play a vital role of providing information, but they are not that properly maintained, but still its better then nothing. For example it took 10mins just to load that sabah agriculture dept website, not much info inside, but got some financial plans and economics for planting certain types of crops, not sure if the content update enough to reflect nowadays price or not, but at least they give you some idea what you need to budget.

By simply putting up "agri is businss" banner wont help much, it is up to one person's initiative. If one is really interested about fish farm, he will not sit there and wait fish come to him, he will go out and find out about it.

May i ask, whats the difference of interest in agriculture or any field, and interest in money?

Lets me tell a story..

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «


Agriculture is business. So, hey, are you interested in the business part or the agriculture part?

Example, our thread host, paraOptical, I talked so much about chili, sweet corn, blah, hes determined to raise fish, I can see he is most interested in tat field.
*
Rabbit's feces is a very good organic fertiliser. It will encourage the growing of earthworm.


Added on September 22, 2007, 12:56 am
QUOTE(kelvintan_mobile @ Sep 21 2007, 12:46 PM)
partime? so who take care of the daily affairs of this farm since u do it parttime? food for rabbit , cleaning, etc.. ?
*
Or I can say is i have two full time job. I am a tuition teacher and a rabbit farmer. I have a worker will do all the routine works. I only go there twice or three times a week.


Added on September 22, 2007, 1:12 am
QUOTE(rexis @ Sep 21 2007, 02:40 PM)
Ahh, a part timer. I know in KK, Sabah, the weekly market at Gaya Street there a lot of pet rabbit stall. No idea where they breed their rabbit, but perhaps you can have an idea where to look for interaction among local 'rabbitrier'.

I dont know too much about rabbit, but I do understand that the entire autralia continent do have rabbit problem and is one of their major agriculture pest(like mice problem in oil palm plantation), which started from some old time colony westerner that brought in rabbits as their hunting game, the rabbits escaped and over breed, autralia climate is somewhat hot and dry, perhaps you can look for some suitable breed from there?

Do Malaysia have any local rabbit species? Cross breed them smile.gif Or perhaps breed the rabbits for a few generation, their kids might be more torelate to malaysian climate. - Got this conclusion from an article about breeding earthworm tongue.gif
*
In Australia and many other countries, wild rabbit is considered as pest. I have read from books, the government there purposely introduced virus in to wild rabbit/hare to kill them. But they still have pure breed as pet. They have rabbit show also.

From what i learnt, no any breed of rabbit originated from Malaysia.
From my opinion is, for pet purpose, mostly people prefer pure breed. Malaysia is quite hard to see pure breeds. There is 45 recognized breeds by ARBA. I have registered my farm and i as a member. So I can update myself.

Although our climate and weather is hot and humid, but once the imported breed adapted, then the problem is solved. This will take about 1 month times. Our climate is quite stable. The temperate country which has 4 seasons, there is extreme cold and hot. Heat stress is a mojor problem in animal farming. Thats why major poultry farm is using closed system.

If for meat production, you may crossbred the rabbit. Like what our goverment has done to cattle, fish, prawn, and some plants. But it cost a lot. But I have visited to 2 meat production farm. My view is the rabbit in their farm is too small/light. I think is about 3 to 4 kg only. It is not efficient enough. Rabbit have to spend about 5 months to achieve the mature size. I am not in meat production line, I really don't know when will they slaughter the rabbit.

This post has been edited by beh_yo_rabbitry: Sep 22 2007, 01:22 AM
rexis
post Sep 26 2007, 10:27 AM

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QUOTE(beh_yo_rabbitry @ Sep 22 2007, 12:54 AM)
Rabbit's feces is a very good organic fertiliser. It will encourage the growing of earthworm.
*
So have you utilize this as a potential side income? How much for each unit weight of your rabbit feces? Or you just throw them away?
beh_yo_rabbitry
post Sep 28 2007, 01:58 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Sep 26 2007, 10:27 AM)
So have you utilize this as a potential side income? How much for each unit weight of your rabbit feces? Or you just throw them away?
*
My landlord take the feces as organic fertilizer for their sugar cane.
DaBestOne
post Sep 28 2007, 03:31 AM

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QUOTE(beh_yo_rabbitry @ Sep 28 2007, 02:58 AM)
My landlord take the feces as organic fertilizer for their sugar cane.
*
so do ur landlord pay u money for da feces?
beh_yo_rabbitry
post Sep 28 2007, 07:23 AM

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QUOTE(DaBestOne @ Sep 28 2007, 03:31 AM)
so do ur landlord pay u money for da feces?
*
No lah. Because the landlord help me a lot. I seldom back to farm, only twice a week. He help me to jaga the place. Further more, i am not ready to start doing decomposting the feces. So i give free lah.
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 1 2007, 04:35 PM

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Engineer a red hot success growing chillies

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sat...82744/index.pda

He is now raking in the ringgit producing chillies for a giant food manufacturing corporation.

Asked what made him quit his factory job in Bangi, Selangor, to return to Kelantan to take up farming, Alamin said it was in his blood. His father was a tobacco farmer, and being an only child Alamin said he had always planned to return home to take over the running of the farm.

His father's death in 2004 hastened that decision. The 24-year-old graduate of Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University returned to Kampung Gong Pasir with wife Siti Nur Atikah Mejam, 24, and their four-year-old son in tow, to look after his mother and work the 0.6-ha farm.

Last year, Alamin decided to switch from tobacco to red chillies. The decision paid off handsomely. His 3,000 plants yielded 10 tonnes of red chillies. This year he hopes to raise his harvest to 15 tonnes by adding 2,000 plants.

"Growing tobacco is costly and needs a lot of attention. Chillies are easy to take care of with the fertigation system," he said.

Plants are grown in polybags with tubes attached to them to feed water and nutrients from a central feeder station, he explained.

Alamin looks after the farm alone and hires workers to help with the harvest.

The chillies are sold to the Bukit Awang Farmers Organisation here at RM2.40 per kilogramme. The farmers organisation is contracted to supply the chillies to Nestle Malaysia for the production of chilli sauce.

Besides growing chillies, Alamin is also doing his own research on various types of chillies and finding ways to improve them. His mechanical skills are also being put to good use. Alamin is working on a mini sprinkler system to spray pesticides.

Alamin said his farming experience has been enriching and rewarding.

"I have no regrets. I am earning about what I used to make. But I am the master here and I get to spend more time with my family. I'm happy," he smiled.

He says he is looking forward to helping to mould future generations of farmers when Bukit Awang's mentor programme gets off the ground.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

the power of the fertigation system.
kianwei8
post Oct 1 2007, 09:23 PM

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http://www.chinabreed.com/

china agriculture webiste
rexis
post Oct 2 2007, 09:31 AM

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QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Oct 1 2007, 09:23 PM)
http://www.chinabreed.com/

china agriculture webiste
*
Whao, being an agriculture website, it is suprisingly updated! It has market price for all the products and news. Furthermore it has shit lots of analysis, market news, etc etc...

Unlike our gov agriculture website....sleep.gif

This post has been edited by rexis: Oct 2 2007, 09:37 AM
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 2 2007, 11:22 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Oct 2 2007, 09:31 AM)
Whao, being an agriculture website, it is suprisingly updated! It has market price for all the products and news. Furthermore it has shit lots of analysis, market news, etc etc...

Unlike our gov agriculture website....sleep.gif
*
haha...tell me about it.
too bad i cant read chinese.
frankly speaking we dont have a good resource website for malaysian agriculture.
beh_yo_rabbitry
post Oct 2 2007, 01:44 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Oct 2 2007, 11:22 AM)
haha...tell me about it.
too bad i cant read chinese.
frankly speaking we dont have a good resource website for malaysian agriculture.
*
Agree!!
Our local government officer only mind their own business. There is no link each other.
We have to depends our self to find info.
rexis
post Oct 8 2007, 10:59 AM

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Agriculture Information Center India

It is in english and it is pretty informative smile.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 8 2007, 11:33 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Oct 8 2007, 10:59 AM)
Agriculture Information Center India

It is in english and it is pretty informative  smile.gif
*
one look at the website already i am impressed by it...hope MY Agri Dept can learn something from them...

*scouting out the website now*
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 11 2007, 09:48 AM

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Hi,

Another round of updates as per 10/10/07


My Red Tilapia + Jelawat (aka Sultan Fish) + Patin
user posted image

My Red Tilapia + Jelawat (aka Sultan Fish) + Patin 2
user posted image

My Red Tilapia + Pak So Kung (aka Baung)
user posted image

mudz
post Oct 22 2007, 02:44 AM

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i dont know wether this is the place for me to ask but i want to know where can i get wheat bran for animal feeding ??

in other country , they can get it from feed store but i dont know where to get it here..

any help please ??
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 24 2007, 02:45 PM

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QUOTE(mudz @ Oct 22 2007, 02:44 AM)
i dont know wether this is the place for me to ask but i want to know where can i get wheat bran for animal feeding ??

in other country , they can get it from feed store but i dont know where to get it here..

any help please ??
*
hi,

i think this info can get from the state pertanian office. which state are you in ?
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 24 2007, 02:47 PM

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Hi people,

another update from me... 24/10/2007

---------------------------

These buggers have really grown in size
user posted image

This is what is fed to them 2-3 times a day
user posted image

Feeding Frenzy - which is a good thing
user posted image

Feeding Frenzy 2- which is a good thing
user posted image


rexis
post Oct 24 2007, 05:18 PM

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Heyy, para your fish are kicking there!

QUOTE(mudz @ Oct 22 2007, 02:44 AM)
i dont know wether this is the place for me to ask but i want to know where can i get wheat bran for animal feeding ??

in other country , they can get it from feed store but i dont know where to get it here..

any help please ??
*
ow yes this is some place you can ask, I just happened to have a grain trader contact biggrin.gif

07-2385218 - Min Tien Grain Importer / Distributor

Ask them are who can you talk to regarding what they are selling.

They are trading all kind of grain, including grains like maize for animal feed, there is a good change that you will find information from them.

...but, what are you feeding anyway? If its just one or two bird or a can of mealworms, I think a grain trader is not what you are looking for(unless you are buying a few tons of them). No harm trying thou.

- - -

In Malaysia we do not plant wheat, and we need to import most of our animal feed grain. Therefore, our choice might not be that complete. Wheat bran is like a by product from wheat processing, what we have is like rice bran, oil palm seed cake...

This post has been edited by rexis: Oct 24 2007, 05:23 PM
mudz
post Oct 24 2007, 08:43 PM

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yea.. im actually finding those for my mealworms..
i did emailed them but no reply so far.. lol..

erm.. anyone knows are there other alternatives to feed my mealworms ??
i need alot to feed them and those oats available in grocery store cost too much..
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 25 2007, 09:01 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Oct 24 2007, 05:18 PM)
Heyy, para your fish are kicking there!

*
actually when i see those guys on a feeding frenzy i get really excited. its so good to see them healthy... biggrin.gif
cktwai
post Oct 25 2007, 09:08 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Oct 25 2007, 09:01 AM)
actually when i see those guys on a feeding frenzy i get really excited. its so good to see them healthy... biggrin.gif
*
para.. you called my friend yet?

did he help you?
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 25 2007, 01:29 PM

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QUOTE(cktwai @ Oct 25 2007, 09:08 AM)
para.. you called my friend yet?

did he help you?
*
brother...

sorry havent gotten the time to call Rocky .. maybe in a week or 2 cause have been travelling recently... biggrin.gif
amirbashah
post Oct 27 2007, 09:00 PM

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Woooow, cool thread. I really didn't know this thread existed. Well, a bit of introduction of myself. My name is Amir and I'm 24 years old. Soon to be working as a PTD officer. I have 7 acres of land in Sungai Merab (Near to Bandar Baru Bangi and Putrajaya) which before this I didn't know what to do with it. My friend introduced me to Agarwood/Gaharu a few weeks ago and I started to do a lot of research on it. In my opinion, I think it has a lot of potential to make money.Currently I have 10 trees which I recently bought (No money yet smile.gif ) and would buy more trees soon.Maybe next month I will start to plant 1000+ trees on my land.Well if anyone interested or currently planting these trees, do inform me. Maybe we could work together.

Check out my thread in finance and business section.

Bila menyebut gaharu, ramai di antara kita yang membayangkan harganya yang begitu mahal sehingga ada yang mengatakan ia lebih bernilai dari emas. Harganya boleh mencecah sehingga RM14,000 - RM20,000 sekilogram untuk kepingan gaharu yang bermutu tinggi. Namun, semua hasil ini diambil dari hutan dan kini realitinya, pokok karas diancam kepupusan.Tanpa kesedaran untuk penanaman semula, negara kita mungkin tidak lagi dapat mengeksport hasil gaharu yang begitu tinggi permintaannya ke negara-negara Timur Tengah dan juga negara lain seperti Taiwan, Jepun dan sebagainya. Mungkin kita patut menoleh ke negara jiran yang lain seperti Indonesia, Thailand dan Myamar, mereka sudah jauh meninggalkan kita dari segi teknologi dan perladangan.
Mungkin, kekurangan sumber maklumat yang tepat dan juga permulaan modal yang tinggi untuk diusahakan secara komersil menjadi faktor ia kurang diminati. Wajar, agensi - agensi kerajaan yang ada memainkan peranan dalam menyalurkan fakta yang lengkap dan perkembangan teknologi harus dicapai dalam usaha menjadikan ia sebagai industri direalisasikan.Ramai di antara kita yang tidak sedar, usaha penanaman pokok karas sudahpun dilakukan oleh beberapa agensi yang ada di beberapa tempat di negara kita, juga penyelidikan dalam penghasilan gaharu melalui kaedah suntikan dan inokulasi juga giat dijalankan.Namun, kurangnya pendedahan dan pengumpulan maklumat, ia kurang memberi impak dalam pelaksanaannya.Untuk mereka yang berminat dalam penanaman pokok karas, mungkin ada berita gembira. Mulai tahun hadapan (2007), teknologi dalam penghasilan gaharu akan dibawa masuk ke negara kita. Usaha menjemput Prof. Blanchette oleh satu agensi kerajaan adalah sangat tepat pada masanya. Namun, jika kita tidak menanamnya, teknologi tiada makna.Berbalik kepada usaha penanaman pokok karas secara ladang, beberapa faktor harus dipertimbangkan seperti pemilihan anak benih, jarak tanaman, kaedah tanaman, kaedah suntikan dan pasaran. Ia harus dinilai untuk meminimakan risiko yang ada dan mendapat hasil yang maksima selepas 7 tahun pelaburan.Pertamanya, pemilihan anak benih sering menjadi persoalan. Ada yang mengatakan spesis A lebih baik dari spesis B dan ada yang sebaliknya kerana ia lebih cepat membesar dan lebih mahal. Seharusnya kita meneliti semula beberapa kajian, pokok karas sebenarnya mempunyai method yang berbeza dengan pokok lain. Pokok yang sihat dan membesar dengan cepat menghasilkan resin gaharu yang sedikit berbanding pokok yang sakit dan diganggu. Ia sebenarnya selari dengan kejadian semulajadi gaharu di dalam hutan, pokok yang berada di kawasan berbatu dan mengalami tindakbalas kecederaan yang teruk menghasilkan gaharu yang lebih bermutu. Kita juga harus melihat kepada permintaan pasaran, spesis manakah yang menjadi pilihan pembeli dan mempunyai harga yang tinggi. Spesis Aquilaria Malaccencis adalah merupakan salah satu spesis yang mempunyai nilai komersil yang tinggi.Manakala kaedah penanaman, jarak penanaman 6"x6" atau 10"x10" menghasilkan jumlah tanaman pada 430 pokok atau 1,000 pokok seekar. Penanaman secara intergrasi adalah lebih meminimunkan risiko, malahan memberi pulangan jangka pendek yang boleh menampung kos keseluruhan. Sulaman boleh dilakukan dengan tanaman herba dan tanaman kontang. Penjarakkan yang sesuai harus dilihat. Selepas pokok karas mencapai usia 5 tahun, suntikan sejenis enzim dilakukan untuk penghasilan gaharu dan dibiarkan selama 2 tahun sebelum mendapat hasil. Perlu diingatkan, tanpa teknologi ini pokok karas tidak akan membentuk gaharu di dalamnya. Berbeza dengan semulajadi, gaharu terbentuk pada usia pokok 20 - 40 tahun melalui gangguan oleh fizikal atau microrganisme.
Banyak laporan di dada akhbar dan laman web, menyatakan setiap pokok menghasilkan gaharu bernilai sehingga RM14,000 - RM18,000. Tetapi, kita perlu menilai setiap aspek dan risiko. Mungkin tidak keterlaluan jika kita meletakkan RM1,000 sahaja untuk sepokok yang menghasilkan gaharu. Bayangkan anda menanam 1,000 pokok dan anda tentu dapat mengira angkanya. Malahan jika hanya 50% sahaja yang menjadi, jumlah pendapatannya masih tinggi! Oleh itu, amat penting untuk kita semua memperolehi sebanyak mungkin maklumat untuk merealisasikan penanaman pokok karas secara ladang. Diharapkan ada agensi yang bertindak sebagai pemantau dan dapat menyimpan data semua ladang karas di negara kita. Maklumat sebegini amat berguna untuk rujukan dimasa akan datang.


Anggaran Kos Permulaan Penanaman (Kelantan) bagi Seekar Tanah


1)Membersih tanah- RM500.00

2)Anak Pokok 10 Bulan (RM5.00 x 430 pokok)- RM2150.00

3)Baja C.I.R.P (RM0.50 x 430 ketul)- RM215.00

4)Kos penanaman (RM1.00 x 430 pokok)- RM430.00

5)Sistem siraman (anggaran polypaip untuk seekar)- RM3500.00

6)Kayu penegak / buluh (RM0.50 x 430 batang)- RM215.00

JUMLAH- RM7,010.00


Anggaran Kos untuk 7 tahun Seekar Tanah


1)Kos penanaman awal- RM7,010.00

2)Pembajaan C.I.R.P (3 x 3 tahun x RM0.50 x 430 pokok)- RM1,935.00

3)Penjagaan / pembersihan kawasan (RM 200 x 7 tahun)- RM1,400.00

4)Kos suntikan/ inducement pada tahun ke - 5 (RM50 x 430 pokok)- RM21,500.00

5)Kos penebangan pokok dan kutipan hasi- RMl3,500.00

6)Lain-lain kos (pagar / jagaan dsbnya)- RM5000.00

JUMLAH- RM41,345.00


GAHARU - Anggaran Hasil

Anggaran hasil minimun RM 1,000.00 sepokok.

Seekar (430 pokok)

- 100% RM 430,000.00

- 80% RM 344,000.00

- 50% RM 215,000.00


Jadual Gred di Pasaran/Agarwood Pricing


Buat masa ini tiada gred yang seragam dan selalunya berbeza mengikut negeri. Berikut adalah gred yang dikeluarkan oleh JPSM dalam Bengkel Penyeragaman Penggredan Gaharu di Semenanjung Malaysia pada awal bulan Jun 2007 yang lalu di Kuala Lipis Pahang.

Harga (perkilogram)/ Price (perkilogram)

Gred Super A-RM 25,000 ke atas

Gred A-RM 20,000

Gred B-RM 18,000

Gred C-RM 15,000

Gred D-RM 8,000

Gred E-RM 3,000

Lain-lain Gred-RM 500 - RM 1,000

Gred Kayu untuk Minyak-RM 5 - RM 100

Minyak Gaharu-RM 300 - RM 350/ tola (12gm)

shocking.gif

Sorry guys,I dont have the English version.Hope this is ok.

Could someone please teach me how to put pictures in posts?

This post has been edited by amirbashah: Oct 30 2007, 12:02 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 31 2007, 08:29 AM

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QUOTE(amirbashah @ Oct 27 2007, 09:00 PM)
Woooow, cool thread. I really didn't know this thread existed. Well, a bit of introduction of myself. My name is Amir and I'm 24 years old. Soon to be working as a PTD officer. I have 7 acres of land in Sungai Merab (Near to Bandar Baru Bangi and Putrajaya) which before this I didn't know what to do with it. My friend introduced me to Agarwood/Gaharu a few weeks ago and I started to do a lot of research on it. In my opinion, I think it has a lot of potential to make money.Currently I have 10 trees which I recently bought (No money yet  smile.gif ) and would buy more trees soon.Maybe next month I will start to plant 1000+ trees on my land.Well if anyone interested or currently planting these trees, do inform me. Maybe we could work together.


Could someone please teach me how to put pictures in posts?
*
hi amir,

welcome to the thread.

what is a PTD Officer ? please enlighten us. thanks

about posting pictures you can go to sites like ImageShack to open an account and upload your picture there. Then get a link and paste it here so people can access it. thanks

POYOZER
post Oct 31 2007, 08:40 AM

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wow
i really interested in agriculture & aquaculture
i planning to join this business on next year
ya i know...still need to learn many things
then next few years...i slowly converted to full-time businessmen
tired with office life already tongue.gif
amirbashah
post Oct 31 2007, 11:44 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Oct 31 2007, 08:29 AM)
hi amir,

welcome to the thread.

what is a PTD Officer ? please enlighten us. thanks

about posting pictures you can go to sites like ImageShack to open an account and upload your picture there. Then get a link and paste it here so people can access it. thanks
*
PTD stands for Pegawai Tadbir dan Diplomatik. I work for the government. So what do you honestly think about this agarwood business? Does it have any potential? And one more thing, could you please give me some suggestions on what other plants, tress or livestocks which have potential to make money. I'm currently planting agarwood but to avoid risk, I have to diversify. In my opinion planting chilies or other vegetables require a lot of work. Livestocks as well. So I'm really interested in something that doesn't require a lot of effort or less training. I want YOUR SUGGESTIONS. Thanks for teaching me on how to upload pictures.

This post has been edited by amirbashah: Oct 31 2007, 12:13 PM


Attached thumbnail(s)
Attached Image
TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 31 2007, 12:06 PM

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QUOTE
user posted image
PTD stands for Pegawai Tadbir dan Diplomatik. I work for the government. So what do you honestly think about this agarwood business? Does it have any potential? And one more thing, could you please give me some suggestions on what other plants, tress or livestocks which have potential to make money. I'm currently planting agarwood but to avoid risk, I have to diversify. In my opinion planting chilies or other vegetables require a lot of work. Livestocks as well. So I'm really interested in something that doesn't require a lot of effort or less training. I want YOUR SUGGESTIONS. Thanks for teaching me on how to upload pictures. But why's the picture small?  hmm.gif
*
sorry i am using PhotoBucket. not too sure about Image Shack. try it and tinker about it.

PTD of which department ?

about your agarwood business definitely the figures looks inviting but have you surveyed enough about it and its market. sometimes the report or news can say alot of wonderful wonderful things but it aint to be. i hope you can do more research.

for the plants or livestocks, suggest you go for cash crops like 4-6 mths crops that would be faster. actually agriculture need lots of work. so you cant be lazy and take the easy way out... biggrin.gif

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Oct 31 2007, 12:13 PM
amirbashah
post Oct 31 2007, 12:27 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Oct 31 2007, 12:06 PM)
sorry i am using PhotoBucket. not too sure about Image Shack. try it and tinker about it.

PTD of which department ?

about your agarwood business definitely the figures looks inviting but have you surveyed enough about it and its market. sometimes the report or news can say alot of wonderful wonderful things but it aint to be. i hope you can do more research.

for the plants or livestocks, suggest you go for cash crops like 4-6 mths crops that would be faster. actually agriculture need lots of work. so you cant be lazy and take the easy way out... biggrin.gif
*
Actually I haven't start working and don't know which department yet. I'll start working in 2 weeks time. Going to Sungai Petani for training.

About agarwood, I only heard a lot of good news but I think there are drawbacks as well. That's why I'm looking for another business too. To minimize risk. I still haven't stop doing research.

Not lazy, just I couldn't monitor my plants/livestocks as often as I could because of my job commitment in the future. I'm not a full time business man as you are. biggrin.gif

Could you please explain to me about your business? How much capital needed? What kind of training I have to go through? How much does a kilo of those fish cost in the market (The pricing)? And anything that would interest me. Cakap Melayu lagi senang. biggrin.gif

TSParaOpticaL
post Oct 31 2007, 04:54 PM

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QUOTE(amirbashah @ Oct 31 2007, 12:27 PM)
Actually I haven't start working and don't know which department yet. I'll start working in 2 weeks time. Going to Sungai Petani for training.

About agarwood, I only heard a lot of good news but I think there are drawbacks as well. That's why I'm looking for another business too. To minimize risk. I still haven't stop doing research.

Not lazy, just I couldn't monitor my plants/livestocks as often as I could because of my job commitment in the future. I'm not a full time business man as you are.  biggrin.gif

Could you please explain to me about your business? How much capital needed? What kind of training I have to go through? How much does a kilo of those fish cost in the market (The pricing)? And anything that would interest me. Cakap Melayu lagi senang.  biggrin.gif
*
do keep us updated on which dept you would be heading might be of help later.

continue your research on agarwood and enlighten us.

if you are not full time then you need to hire someone to tend to your cash crop if not then no point in planting anything. sure need maintenance one.

i am doing fish farming in fibre glass tanks. its well documented in the thread. just take your time to go through it. training wise just go for course either by private or govt organised then would be ok.
amirbashah
post Oct 31 2007, 07:49 PM

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Just to let you guys know, there's this one old guy planting gaharu on his 30 acres land. A Japanese investor wants to buy the trees for RM60 million.


RM60,000,000. drool.gif

This post has been edited by amirbashah: Oct 31 2007, 07:49 PM
rexis
post Nov 7 2007, 09:39 AM

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QUOTE(mudz @ Oct 24 2007, 08:43 PM)
yea.. im actually finding those for my mealworms..
i did emailed them but no reply so far.. lol..

erm.. anyone knows are there other alternatives to feed my mealworms ??
i need alot to feed them and those oats available in grocery store cost too much..
*
You should really find cheaper alternative for cost effective mealworm production, there are many things you can consider other then oat, I suggest you call them personally and they are willing to talk to you. There should be some grain distrubutor in yellow pages.

How much mealworms you are breeding anyway O.o" commercial scale?

There are many things you can utilize as well, and free:
- milked santan, a waste product, you can go to whever ever processing/selling santan
- coffee ground, from all coffee shop
- soy bean pulp(whatever they left after using the beans)
- fruit pulp from juice stall
Sun dry all the ingrediants above, preferbly microwave for 3 mins/steam for 1 hours before using to prevent any unwanted lifeform

Make sure, make sure, make sure... pesticide free, otherwise the result is devastating, I hv 4 huge caterpillars here die for nothing eating pesticided vege... sleep.gif bugs stand no change to pesticide. (oh ya, i tends to keep some of my discoveries while im processing my meal)

QUOTE(POYOZER @ Oct 31 2007, 08:40 AM)
wow
i really interested in agriculture & aquaculture
i planning to join this business on next year
ya i know...still need to learn many things
then next few years...i slowly converted to full-time businessmen
tired with office life already tongue.gif
*
Feel the same here, I am really tired of this office prison and undergoing my prison breaking now.

QUOTE(amirbashah @ Oct 31 2007, 07:49 PM)
Just to let you guys know, there's this one old guy planting gaharu on his 30 acres land. A Japanese investor wants to buy the trees for RM60 million.
RM60,000,000.  drool.gif
*
Hello amir
I am delighted to read about your post regarding agarwood, you hv opened up a new topic in this thread, and what you considered has went thru my mind as well, I dont hv time to stay in farm all day, is there anything passive I can plant?

I am thinking about tree nursery, while yet to find too much information about it, but as you said, it shouldn't need as much care as a short term farm.

Can you give me the contact about where did you get those small agarwood seedlings?

To post picture in forum you can host them in http://imageshack.us/ and put the link here using LYN "IMG" button.


Added on November 7, 2007, 10:30 am
QUOTE(amirbashah @ Oct 27 2007, 09:00 PM)
Woooow, cool thread. I really didn't know this thread existed. Well, a bit of introduction of myself. My name is Amir and I'm 24 years old. Soon to be working as a PTD officer. I have 7 acres of land in Sungai Merab (Near to Bandar Baru Bangi and Putrajaya) which before this I didn't know what to do with it. My friend introduced me to Agarwood/Gaharu a few weeks ago and I started to do a lot of research on it. In my opinion, I think it has a lot of potential to make money.Currently I have 10 trees which I recently bought (No money yet  smile.gif ) and would buy more trees soon.Maybe next month I will start to plant 1000+ trees on my land.Well if anyone interested or currently planting these trees, do inform me. Maybe we could work together.

Check out my thread in finance and business section.

...

*
At first glance, I have some thought about your fragrance tree project:

- Allocate more space for your trees, there has been cases that people trying to farm hardwood in high density but end up getting a bunch of worthless tall and thin trees. Indeed, you can plant a high density and chop off whichever trees that is not doing so well after they grow big to maximize production, but this means more work, more cost. So, utilize 10'x10 or even 12'x12' space

- Make sure you get the technology correct, the article mentioned about injecting an enzime to the trees after 5 years, do you where to get those? And are you sure they worked? Its unlikely we wait it for 20 years so the trees develop naturally.

- Given the price the end harvest will fetch as you posted, you dont expect that they will sit there safely waiting you to chop them anytime, proper monitoring should be given and perhaps you need to pagar the place as well. Someone on site full time is helpful.

- Do intercropping, get a partner and establish a mutual agreement, I am sending you a porposal biggrin.gif so part of the fertilizer and goodness applied intercropping will benefit your trees as well, and the land will be properly managed so tall grasses wont outgrow your trees, they are the thing that can suck up most of the nutrients. After the trees grow up, you can rear cow/goats among them, they can use the shade.

- Build a small house there so you can spend a nice weekend there once a while! Or drop an old container there like our tread starter for this purpose biggrin.gif

. . . .

BTW, can post a link to your B&F thread?

This post has been edited by rexis: Nov 7 2007, 10:30 AM
TSParaOpticaL
post Nov 7 2007, 02:48 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Nov 7 2007, 09:39 AM)

- Do intercropping, get a partner and establish a mutual agreement, I am sending you a porposal biggrin.gif so part of the fertilizer and goodness applied intercropping will benefit your trees as well, and the land will be properly managed so tall grasses wont outgrow your trees, they are the thing that can suck up most of the nutrients. After the trees grow up, you can rear cow/goats among them, they can use the shade.

- Build a small house there so you can spend a nice weekend there once a while! Or drop an old container there like our tread starter for this purpose biggrin.gif


*
wah so fast getting a proposal done ar ?

below is a news about Agarwood.

--------------------------

Have research site for agarwood, state urged

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wed...2078859/Article

DUNGUN: Turn the Karas plantation in the Merchang reserve forest here into a research site for agarwood.
This was the call made by the Peninsular Malaysia Fores-try Department to the state government.

The agarwood or gaharu from the Aquilaria malaccensis tree, a local species also known as the Karas tree, can grow more than 36 metres in height, is threatened by extinction due to illegal collection.

It has several benefits including medicinal properties such as a cure for fever, stomach pains and body aches. It also has anti-cancer properties.

According to a report by the Convention on International Trade, Peninsular Malaysia exported 450 tonnes of gaharu between 1995 and 1999 to countries such as Hong Kong, India, Japan, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The department's director-general, Datuk Seri Azahar Muda said that with a research site, the country would be able to tap into this potential.

"Currently, there aren't any detailed studies on the species. The information we have is very general.

"This is why it is important we have a site to do further research, especially since the interest in gaharu has ballooned in recent years.

"The information gleaned from the research can then be used as a guide for parties interested, especially private companies, in exploiting its potential," he said after visiting the site on Monday.

The 47-hectare site for the pilot project -- previously covered with the highly invasive Acacia mangium -- is planted with 39,500 trees.

Azahar also urges states in the peninsula to plant the Karas tree on vacant land due to its commercial value. On average, an adult tree can bring in up to RM18,000 after harvesting.

So far there are two plantations, one in Kuala Lipis and one in Raub, Pahang owned by a private company.
TSParaOpticaL
post Nov 18 2007, 05:58 AM

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Reposted from another agriculture thread.

QUOTE(Michael J. @ Nov 16 2007, 04:38 PM)
Wa... too quiet de this thread...

There are many problems with the agri industry in Malaysia as a whole... Truth is that there is no real concerted effort in galvanising and organising the various industry players into a single consortium of sort. Take for instance Thailand, look at how their government has organized their agricultural sector. It is so well thought out and planned that Thailand is so well established as an agriculture hub. About the only organized sector in Malaysian agriculture now is the palm oil sector.... And even then, it is because the various private sector players have made the effort to literally force the government to do so.

I'll resound what many seniors in the industry have told me regarding recent public uni grads in agri: They don't have enough knowledge about agriculture.

Mind you, these bosses are senior alumni from the same public uni they are commenting about, although they got their degrees decades before.

I won't comment about the technical knowledge of these graduates. It is both unjust and unfair to do so because it is not their fault. The truth is that public unis do not offer a comprehensive study of agriculture as a whole, thus giving rise to grads with a serious lacking in the technical know-how of how the sector functions. The subject matter thought in the public unis are so touvh-and-go that at the end of the day, it is even arguementable that what they know covers even 40% of what is required of them.
The other thing these seniors have brought up in our frequent discussions is that most public uni graduates lack that certain aptitude that qualifies them for the industry. Now that, I'm not too sure about this because I'm not from a public uni, and if I've met with many public uni grads recently, I don't think I would know that they are grads. Even though my colleagues recruited along with me are from public uni, based upon what the senior people have told me, then I would assume that my colleagues would have had that same aptitude the senior people were looking for in them, so no good for comparison there.
What are your take on this matter?


Added on November 16, 2007, 5:14 pm
Bro.... if you average out the weight of FFB, you will not get 50kg per bunch. Unless you are talking about Dura palms, where the shell is darn thick, and not accepted by the mills. Current planting materials are of the Tenera strains, a.k.a. D x P materials. Depending on your planting material source, and your plantatation management standards, and the age of your palms, the standard range is 20kg - 30kg. Of course there will be instances where bunches do reach more than that... I've recorded bunches in my place going up to 100kgs, for Tenera even.

The proposed harvesting standard is every 10 days round, i.e. 3 harvestings per month, but in practice it is difficult to do so. Two harvesting per month is more practical. If your hectarage is small, then maybe 3 harvestings can; but if you've a large hectarage, then it is quite difficult. As for optimum density, it really depends on your soil type and your planting material again. For 50 stand per acre, that's if you plant on mineral soils and your material is AVROS basal material. AVROS materials are characteristically tall palms, so you need a lower density to compensate for theri height. Generally, peat soils require a higher planting density, and best is the material used is one with dwarfing mechanism. But in truth, most plantations will function well on density plantings of 56-58 stands per acre.

RM250 per tonne is in 2006, correct. This year, the average stands at RM500, about twice for FFB. So at an average of say 25kg per bunch, at optimum ripeness standard (no black bunches), and each and every palm produces 2 harvestings per month, at 50kg bunch total, 55 palm stands will give 2.750 tonnes FFB per acre. At RM500 per tonne, that equates to RM1375; for 3 harvestings you're looking RM2063 per month per acre. Of course your real returns will be far less than this after you factor in the fertilzer cost (bloody expensive now), cost of labour to harvest, maintain, and look after your hectarage, and of course cost of transporting your FFB to the nearest mill. If you choose not to actively manage your land, but have a contractor to run it for you, then you'd likely see about 50% of that figure missing; after all, you're in a partnership of sort where the contractor provides the labour and sale, you provide the land and crop.
Dreamer might be right about RM18700 for 100 acres. If that is nett return, then even more likely to be the case. Cost of labour might be one factor, cost of transportation is another. Also it may be that the plantation has many stands of Pisifera palms, which will not yield many bunches in its lifetime, or that the plantation is located in East Malaysia. East Malaysia has a tendency to pay far less for FFB compared to West Malaysia. Probably has to do something with the presence of few but huge plantations with mills, and many small holders, so they can cut-throat the small holders. Don't want to speculate about that, but it could be the case.
*
TSParaOpticaL
post Nov 19 2007, 10:58 AM

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Repost from another thread.

QUOTE(rexis @ Nov 19 2007, 10:08 AM)
Oh yes, time to spice up this thread a bit.

Very very informative post, and yes, it was already a year since i posted here, and the price is already two fold, omg.

Fertilizer is freaking expensive @RM6000/ton for a decent imported fertilizer! Oil palm is fertilizer intensive crop that require both chemical and organic fertilizer.

Integrated farming pratices for sustainable agricultural programme, sounds great, can elaborate more about it?

Especially what is Sustainable Agriculture Programme? is it some kind of official programme?

And tumpang post, anybody know anything about Good Agricultural Practice aka GAP? As well as where should I go to seek for guildance?
*
This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Nov 19 2007, 11:00 AM
TSParaOpticaL
post Nov 19 2007, 11:00 AM

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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.
rexis
post Nov 19 2007, 11:58 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Nov 19 2007, 11:00 AM)
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 smile.gif am going to call that two liquid fertilizer supplier real soon biggrin.gif

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.
TSParaOpticaL
post Nov 19 2007, 04:02 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Nov 19 2007, 11:58 AM)
Oh yes smile.gif am going to call that two liquid fertilizer supplier real soon biggrin.gif

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.
TSParaOpticaL
post Nov 29 2007, 07:44 AM

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

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

Attached Image
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."
TSParaOpticaL
post Dec 5 2007, 09:40 PM

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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.
amirbashah
post Dec 17 2007, 11:19 AM

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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.
rexis
post Dec 17 2007, 01:08 PM

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QUOTE(amirbashah @ Dec 17 2007, 11:19 AM)
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?
TSParaOpticaL
post Dec 17 2007, 01:55 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Dec 17 2007, 01:08 PM)
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.
amirbashah
post Dec 17 2007, 02:48 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Dec 17 2007, 01:55 PM)
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
TSParaOpticaL
post Dec 17 2007, 02:50 PM

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QUOTE(amirbashah @ Dec 17 2007, 02:48 PM)
Actually we cooperate with SME bank and Bank Rakyat. The loan will be provided by them with low interest.
*
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 ?
amirbashah
post Dec 17 2007, 02:55 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Dec 17 2007, 02:50 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.
rexis
post Dec 17 2007, 04:46 PM

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QUOTE
Hi Rexis, regarding your question, we do have that kind of training next year. But unfortunately, we only cater for people in rural areas only. I'm sorry. But if you have any questions or whatsoever,feel free to ask. I will try my best to help. How about you try asking people at the Ministry of Agriculture.


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.
amirbashah
post Dec 17 2007, 05:19 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Dec 17 2007, 04:46 PM)
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. smile.gif
zolarius
post Dec 28 2007, 03:53 PM

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QUOTE(amirbashah @ Dec 17 2007, 06:19 PM)
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.  smile.gif
*
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
amirbashah
post Dec 28 2007, 04:21 PM

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QUOTE(zolarius @ Dec 28 2007, 03:53 PM)
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.
*
I think you better call the officer in charge of the training.And please don't mention my name smile.gif

This post has been edited by amirbashah: Dec 28 2007, 04:21 PM
ah_suknat
post Dec 29 2007, 06:17 AM

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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 notworthy.gif
hmspower
post Dec 30 2007, 12:05 PM

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QUOTE(ah_suknat @ Dec 29 2007, 06:17 AM)
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 notworthy.gif
*
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
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 3 2008, 08:36 AM

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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.
rexis
post Jan 3 2008, 10:56 AM

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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.

QUOTE(ah_suknat @ Dec 29 2007, 06:17 AM)
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?

any advices would be much appreciated, thank you notworthy.gif
*
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
amirbashah
post Jan 7 2008, 06:03 PM

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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. smile.gif
da_devil
post Jan 10 2008, 05:46 PM

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just wanna ask
if i buy chilli seeds and other agro stuff from ebay or oversea do i need to apply any permit?
because im quite scared if the customs hold the shipment and accused me of smuggling or somethin like that

any help would be apreciated
hmspower
post Jan 15 2008, 04:41 PM

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for chilli seeds imo u can get a good one here, no need to buy from oversea. pm me what u require n i'll try to assist u smile.gif
rexis
post Jan 16 2008, 01:52 PM

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QUOTE(da_devil @ Jan 10 2008, 05:46 PM)
just wanna ask
if i buy chilli seeds and other agro stuff from ebay or oversea do i need to apply any permit?
because im quite scared if the customs hold the shipment and accused me of smuggling or somethin like that

any help would be apreciated
*
By law you do required to apply for permit. It should be apply thru customs for quarentein clearance. Or contact customs and they should have some idea about who you should speak to.

But people do able to "smuggle" in foreign life form via mail packages, sometimes customs will confestigate it, sometime the packages will just got thru. I do recall that there was a group of uni researchers that ordered some earthworms thru the internet, and they got it thru mail. Another famous example is that our rubber trees are actually smuggled in from brazil during the early days in the form of rubber seed, and hence we have all our rubber trees.

So, if you really want to order chili seeds from oversea, its better that you apply for permit first. As quality chili seeds usually cost as much as real gold by weight. Dont do something like me - send a mooncake box to hometown and it never arrive.

Mind tell us why you dont order from local provider? They are reputable and readily available, sometimes they can even provide technical assistance.


Added on January 18, 2008, 4:58 pmLately I was having some very informative chatting with Michael J.. We have been talking about mushroom seedings, plant cloning, and then oil palm.
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «


This post has been edited by rexis: Jan 18 2008, 04:58 PM
da_devil
post Jan 19 2008, 03:15 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Jan 16 2008, 01:52 PM)
By law you do required to apply for permit. It should be apply thru customs for quarentein clearance. Or contact customs and they should have some idea about who you should speak to.

But people do able to "smuggle" in foreign life form via mail packages, sometimes customs will confestigate it, sometime the packages will just got thru. I do recall that there was a group of uni researchers that ordered some earthworms thru the internet, and they got it thru mail. Another famous example is that our rubber trees are actually smuggled in from brazil during the early days in the form of rubber seed, and hence we have all our rubber trees.

So, if you really want to order chili seeds from oversea, its better that you apply for permit first. As quality chili seeds usually cost as much as real gold by weight. Dont do something like me - send a mooncake box to hometown and it never arrive.

Mind tell us why you dont order from local provider? They are reputable and readily available, sometimes they can even provide technical assistance.


Note: Prickly Pear Cactus was brought into australia to plant around a farm as a living fence. However the Australia weather condition is so suitable to the cactus and soon it grown out of control and form an outbreak, covering significant area of farm lands and rendering they unusable therefore badly affecting food production.

Later they brought in a Moth species from where the cactus came from, and the Moth's caterpillar basically ate all the cactus and fixed the problem.
[/spoiler]
*
im lookin for red savina habanero chili seeds
anyway i just cant find these seeds from local provider
all they provide is kulai,bird's eye and other hybrid such as F1,kulai king

rexis
post Jan 21 2008, 11:28 AM

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QUOTE(da_devil @ Jan 19 2008, 03:15 PM)
im lookin for red savina habanero chili seeds
anyway i just cant find these seeds from local provider
all they provide is kulai,bird's eye and other hybrid such as F1,kulai king
*
hmm, lemme see, Red Savina Pepper is the 2nd hottest chili in the world.

Why picking this breed? Isnt it that it is better to plant something that is in demand? Not just Red Savina, we can barely see people selling cherry chili in local market.
TSParaOpticaL
post Jan 30 2008, 09:04 PM

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yeah i would also like to know your reason in picking this kind of chilli.

is there a demand in the local market for it?
Michael J.
post Jan 31 2008, 09:03 AM

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Maybe he is not looking at the local consumer market lei....?

Red Savina has excellent eating qualities even though it is really damn hot. A popular way of eating it is to make Chilli Poppers (ie remove seeds from ripe chilli core and fill it with melted cheese). On the international market, as well as local niche markets, the Red Savina does make its presence known.

I'm looking for African Bird's Eye chilli... Anybody knows anyone who supplies seeds in pulp?


Added on January 31, 2008, 9:05 amOh ya... Red Savina is no longer the 2nd hottest chilli.... The first is the Dorset Naga at 950,000 Scovilles, and second is the Joloika Naga at 850,000 Scovilles. Red Savina ranks 3rd at the latest poll, at a mere 350,000 Scovilles. I'll try to get a proper ranking print out and post it here.


Added on January 31, 2008, 10:18 amhttp://www.scovilleinstitute.com/periodic_table_071607.jpg

Note: The Dorset Naga has not yet been added to the table. To read about the Dorset Naga, read the following article:

http://www.dorsetnaga.com/

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Jan 31 2008, 10:18 AM
rexis
post Jan 31 2008, 03:26 PM

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Whats so particular about african bird's eye anyway?

I has communicated with da_devil and he mentioned that he is looking at Red Savina because its rare in Malaysia, can save cost coz no need to put too many due to its extreme hot. Sort of like opening up new market thingy.

I only know they use red savina to make pepper spray.

Better go for common crops if doing commercial farming, maybe plant red savina in small batch, test the market first, use your common crops as the backbone then slowly branch into unexplored market.

But if for gardening or home farming, no problem biggrin.gif
Michael J.
post Jan 31 2008, 11:08 PM

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Haha... yea lar... niche market lor... I unfortunately happened to eat one when doing food tasting at Marriot... If you do eat one unknowlingly, don't drink water... take something dairy, like milk... The casein melds with the capsaicin well, reducing the heat greatly.

African Bird's Eye chilli ah? That's what Peri-Peri Sauce is made of... haha... I got the recipe for it... so thought of planting a few bushes just to get a good crop to make a few batches. Maybe I should improvise and use Malaysian Bird's Eye, or Thai Bird's Eye instead... See the result first...
luvfun
post Feb 7 2008, 11:12 PM

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hi guys, im new in this section, im actually interested in this agri biz, i was thinking of oil palm, but the thing is i dont have knowledge on these things, i know ppl working in this biz b4, shuld i ask them on the whole process or is there any other ways to learn all this ?? hope i can get some guidance from here.. thankx..
Michael J.
post Feb 8 2008, 10:16 PM

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You can ask them, and if they are willing to tell then ok lor... otherwise you may get information from really good books about OP like Pigout's Oil Palm Plantation Management, or the more scientific sort like Corley and Tinker's The Oil Palm... Pigout's should suffice, but to really develop and get good crops, you do need some hands-on experience. Trust me, nothing beats hands on experience. What you read in the literature can differ greatly when put into practice, hence the value of the senior planters.


Added on February 8, 2008, 10:22 pmOn a different note, I've managed to get my hands on some Hungarian Cherry Chilli seeds, and some of them have begun to germinate finely. Has only been 5 days since first sowing and results are showing.

I've also planted some selected Tabasco Chillies, but unfortunately my gardener killed two of the important seedlings along with all my mint plants with weedicide. Now it figures why all my garlic, onion and potatoes have failed. Gonna put up a warning sign tomorrow, and if still my plants get killed, I'm gonna sack the gardener.

Anyone has Annaheim Chilli by chance?

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Feb 8 2008, 10:22 PM
Darkus
post Feb 13 2008, 08:30 PM

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Hello all,

Im an executive for an aquaculture farm using technologies derived from australia. Currently our company has a fully owned facility in Kuching Sarawak producing upt o 120mT/year of Barramundi (Siakap) and Jade Perch (New sp. to M'sia).

I would like to ask you all for information, do you guys know of any institute which provide classes/clinics/seminars on fish breeding/seeding?

Reason why is, we are planning on opening up our own SPF (Specific pathogen free) hatchery and we need to train our workers. Currently, we are importing fries from Australia and with the currency playing, its getting too expensive.

Please if any of you could provide me of any information on this or if you could direct me to the right person. Mail me biggrin.gif

Best Regards,

Darkus.
mikro
post Feb 14 2008, 12:12 AM

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hi, i am interesting in aqua business. I would like to ask how much model i need if i plan to start a fish farm?


i thinking of starting to build using paraoptical breeding model which used reinforce fiber plastic and a excellent quality pump which could graduately reduce amonia level in water (don't know how much).

I thinking of breeding all the high end sea water fish such as humpback grouper ( kerapu tikus), 7 star grouper ("ci sing pan") and many more.

I heard from another than this fish fry is very costly so breeding in a control water can increase survival rate ( >95%) thus offset the high building cost for the fish farm.

And one more thing, Is there any strong market demand for this high price sea fish? How about the marketing for this kind of business venture?



TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 14 2008, 08:14 AM

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QUOTE(Darkus @ Feb 13 2008, 08:30 PM)
Hello all,

Im an executive for an aquaculture farm using technologies derived from australia. Currently our company has a fully owned facility in Kuching Sarawak producing upt o 120mT/year of Barramundi (Siakap) and Jade Perch (New sp. to M'sia).

I would like to ask you all for information, do you guys know of any institute which provide classes/clinics/seminars on fish breeding/seeding?

Reason why is, we are planning on opening up our own SPF (Specific pathogen free) hatchery and we need to train our workers. Currently, we are importing fries from Australia and with the currency playing, its getting too expensive.

Please if any of you could provide me of any information on this or if you could direct me to the right person. Mail me  biggrin.gif

Best Regards,

Darkus.
*
may i ask what technology are you using from Australia and which company is it from? thanks would love to know more...
rexis
post Feb 14 2008, 03:52 PM

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Lets bring back some passion, heres something interesting that brought up by one of our agri thread reader smile.gif rclxms.gif

Source

QUOTE
Vanilla's sweet taste of profits

KOTA KINABALU: A project to help the hard-core poor could make Malaysia one of the leading producers of vanilla. Rentak Timur Sdn Bhd is teaming up with the Rural Development Corporation(KPD) under the Sabah Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry, to encourage poor farmers to cultivate vanilla orchid.

Rentak Timur Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Syed Isa Syed Alwi said the plant could be produced in large quantities on small plots of land. And it is a lucrative crop, selling for up to RM380 per kg on the international market.

With 60 per cent of the global share, Madagascar is the biggest producer of vanilla.

Malaysia produces high quality vanilla and can over take Indonesia, which as second largest producer has 21% of the world market share.

"Our goal is to plant five million vanilla seedlings in the country by 2009. As of April, we have 120,000 vanilla seedlings planted in Peninsular Malaysia and the figure will increase with the expansion to Sabah." said Syed Isa at the signing of the memorandum of understanding wigh KPD.

Rentak Timur, which has a RM14 million processing factory in Pahang, said it was the sole commercial producer of vanilla in the country. Under the joint project, KPD will identify hard-core poor farmer and bring them together with Rentak Timue, which will sell them the plants at RM14.50 per plant and buy back the crop.

"A quarter hectare can carry about 1000 vanilla plants. Each plant produces up to 5kg of vanilla pods, which we will buy back at RM30 to RM50 per kg for processing." said Syed Isa. Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail said " We will identify which family qualify for the contract farming under the hard-core poor scheme KPD has identified 25ha in Lumadan, Beaufort as the site for the pilot project."

The US, France, Germany and the UK are the biggest consumers of vanilla in the world. World demand for vanilla flavouring is about 4,500 tonnes a year.


The economics provided here is:

QUOTE
1/2 acres for 1000 plants
crops take 3 years to grow(according to the website)
up to 5kg green pods per plant(assume they mean annual production)
buy back program for RM30-50 per kg

1000 plants = 5000kg annual production
5000kg x RM((30+50) / 2) = RM200,000 annual income

or RM16666.67 monthly
It might sound a little too good to be true here, take note that you have to bear with the labor cost, maintenance, wait 3 years for first fruiting, wait ?? years for it to hit 5kg per plant, etc etc.

But even if the net profit is 1/10 of the above figure, it is still worth considering.

Note: a green pod is fresh unprocessed vanilla pod, only the final product of properly cured and dried vanilla beans has the vanilla favor and will fetch the price of RM380.

WIKI

QUOTE
Vanilla grows as a vine, climbing up an existing tree, pole, or other support. It can be grown in a wood (on trees), in a plantation (on trees or poles), or in a "shader", in increasing orders of productivity. Left alone, it will grow as high as possible on the support, with few flowers. Every year, growers fold the higher parts of the plant downwards so that the plant stays at heights accessible by a standing human. This also greatly stimulates flowering.

The distinctively flavoured compounds are found in the fruit, which results from the pollination of the flower. One flower produces one fruit. Vanilla planifolia flowers are hermaphroditic: they carry both male (anther) and female (stigma) organs; however, to avoid self-pollenization, a membrane separates those organs. Such flowers may only be naturally pollinated by a specifically equipped bee found in Mexico. Growers have tried to bring this bee into other growing locales, to no avail. The only way to produce fruits is thus artificial pollination.

A simple and efficient artificial pollination method was introduced in 1841 by a 12-year-old slave named Edmond Albius on Réunion: a method still used today. Using a beveled sliver of bamboo,[2] an agricultural worker folds back the membrane separating the anther and the stigma, then presses the anther on the stigma. The flower is then self-pollinated, and will produce a fruit. The vanilla flower lasts about one day, sometimes less, thus growers have to inspect their plantations every day for open flowers, a labour-intensive task.

The fruit (a seed capsule), if left on the plant, will ripen and open at the end; it will then release the distinctive vanilla smell. The fruit contains tiny, flavourless seeds. In dishes prepared with whole natural vanilla, these seeds are recognizable as black specks.

Like other orchids' seeds, vanilla seed will not germinate without the presence of certain mycorrhizal fungi. Instead, growers reproduce the plant by cutting: they remove sections of the vine with six or more leaf nodes, a root opposite each leaf. The two lower leaves are removed, and this area is buried in loose soil at the base of a support. The remaining upper roots will cling to the support, and often grow down into the soil. Growth is rapid under good conditions.


According to the Malaysia Vanilla website, in order to get vanilla orchid to produce vanilla pods, plenty of labor is required for pollination, and it takes 9 months for the plant to form the pods. After harvesting the green pods, we need to go thru the following steps into sellable vanilla beans, which has the legendary vanilla flavor.


» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «


Rentak Timur only required you to have 1/2 an acre for the buy back partnetship and a mere RM21k for setting up the land, it looks like an ideal crop for people who has a piece of idle land nearby where they live.

(PS: Vanilla Coke is made of natural vanilla? not synthetic?)

(A hat-tip to amirbashah!)

This post has been edited by rexis: Feb 14 2008, 04:02 PM
davidghc
post Feb 21 2008, 01:03 PM

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Anyone heard of Gold Strike Hybrid corn? Trying to research how good this seed is. Anyone know of any seed companies selling this variety?


Michael J.
post Feb 21 2008, 02:34 PM

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Bro, RM20000 nett is not really worth it lar... For the same amount of labour and time consumed, there are other crops that would give better returns.

As a rule of thumb, follow the 80:20 Rule... Around 20% cost of production to 80% profit taking; About 20% of customer buying 80% of your products; 20% time needed to acheive 80% optimal production capacity. Otherwise it is not very sustainable lei...

When I first wrote my paper on vanilla production for my college thesis, what was found was that although Malaysia is tropical like Brazil, Tahiti and Madagascar, our climate is largely not suitable for vanilla to flower. Only the areas closer to the highlands can actually get the thing to optimal flowering. A single node on the vanilla vine can easily produce 15 to 20 pods at optimal flowering and pollination, but so far, few successes in the low-land areas. By the way, 15 processed pods equals to a kilo for grade A in Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and Tahiti.

I've seen the processed pods from the supplier, and the plants themselves. This is my own opinion, and I've no scientific backing to this, but the plants worry me. I was quite surprised that the pods were tiny in comparison to even those from India, Indonesia and Africa. The standard grading is 20cm minimum, and those I've seen are only about 15cm. In terms of intensity of flavour, I find it barely matching the standard either.

Now I'm not saying that the vanilla industry is not profitable... Clearly it is, but what I'm pointing out is that there are many factors to consider. (I) Clearly, not everywhere in Malaysia can the crop be planted
(II) Labour problem; Famlily enterprize not great model unless you have 6-7 members in your family or so for every acre of land.
(III) High initial cost of production, coupled by high maintenance costs over the intervening years; can be offset by GAP

There are some more points, but I'm in a hurry now. You may like to read up on India's and PNG's vanilla industry. That should give a good example of what possible scenarios may take place.


Added on February 21, 2008, 4:02 pmBro, RM20000 nett is not really worth it lar... For the same amount of labour and time consumed, there are other crops that would give better returns.

As a rule of thumb, follow the 80:20 Rule... Around 20% cost of production to 80% profit taking; About 20% of customer buying 80% of your products; 20% time needed to acheive 80% optimal production capacity. Otherwise it is not very sustainable lei...

When I first wrote my paper on vanilla production for my college thesis, what was found was that although Malaysia is tropical like Brazil, Tahiti and Madagascar, our climate is largely not suitable for vanilla to flower. Only the areas closer to the highlands can actually get the thing to optimal flowering. A single node on the vanilla vine can easily produce 15 to 20 pods at optimal flowering and pollination, but so far, few successes in the low-land areas. By the way, 15 processed pods equals to a kilo for grade A in Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and Tahiti.

I've seen the processed pods from the supplier, and the plants themselves. This is my own opinion, and I've no scientific backing to this, but the plants worry me. I was quite surprised that the pods were tiny in comparison to even those from India, Indonesia and Africa. The standard grading is 20cm minimum, and those I've seen are only about 15cm. In terms of intensity of flavour, I find it barely matching the standard either.

Now I'm not saying that the vanilla industry is not profitable... Clearly it is, but what I'm pointing out is that there are many factors to consider. (I) Clearly, not everywhere in Malaysia can the crop be planted
(II) Labour problem; Famlily enterprize not great model unless you have 6-7 members in your family or so for every acre of land.
(III) High initial cost of production, coupled by high maintenance costs over the intervening years; can be offset by GAP

There are some more points, but I'm in a hurry now. You may like to read up on India's and PNG's vanilla industry. That should give a good example of what possible scenarios may take place.

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Feb 21 2008, 04:02 PM
rexis
post Feb 21 2008, 04:25 PM

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Reference

QUOTE
18-01-2008: ECER plants corn hybrid for 85% jump in returns
by Tamimi Omar
Email us your feedback at fd@bizedge.com

KUALA TERENGGANU: A new breed of high-yielding corn, which is tagged the Gold Strike sweet corn that brings 85% more return on investment (ROI), is being introduced by the Hulu Terengganu Department of Agriculture as part of an agriculture initiative under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER).

Earmarked to be farmed at a 200-hectare site in Kuala Berang, corn farming formed a dominant part of the self-sustaining Bachok-Besut-Setiu-Kuala Berang Agro Valley for vegetables and short-term corps, ECER Secretariat said in a statement yesterday.

It said the estimated cost of planting the hybrid sweet corn was at RM4,832 per hectare with expected income of RM12,600 per hectare per season, while the estimated cost of planting Thai super sweet (TSS) corn was RM3,352 with estimated income of RM5,500 per hectare per season.

ECER said the initial plantation phase, starting December 2007, would cover 58 hectares of land involving 144 farmers.

The Gold Strike sweet corn was selected by the Agriculture Department based on a study which showed the new hybrid to be most resistant to plant diseases. The study also showed the hybrid produces higher ears of corn.

Corn plantation efforts are expected to reduce the import of agriculture goods. In 2006, Malaysia imported 200 tonnes of corns worth US$200,000 (RM683,000) from China, followed by New Zealand with 140 tonnes worth US$170,000.

Malaysia also imports 100 tonnes from Thailand worth US$50,000 and 70 tonnes from the US worth US$80,000.
Ow, that one, it sounds like Gold Strike is a brand, and this is the hybrid corn as one of their product, as I can find Gold Strike hybrid pumpkin too, on google.

The corns imported in the end of the article should refer to sweetcorn, but I have a confusion here, is the whole purpose of the plantation plan is to replace that mere RM1.2mil of import goods while spending 100s of millions on other import food? And do we import any significant sweetcorn at all that worth our attention?

They might have an idea where to find that seed, seeds suppliers:
Leckat Corp: 03-6280 2620
Sin Seng Huat Seeds: 03-8060 9921
davidghc
post Feb 21 2008, 04:47 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Feb 21 2008, 04:25 PM)
Reference
Ow, that one, it sounds like Gold Strike is a brand, and this is the hybrid corn as one of their product, as I can find Gold Strike hybrid pumpkin too, on google.

The corns imported in the end of the article should refer to sweetcorn, but I have a confusion here, is the whole purpose of the plantation plan is to replace that mere RM1.2mil of import goods while spending 100s of millions on other import food? And do we import any significant sweetcorn at all that worth our attention?

They might have an idea where to find that seed, seeds suppliers:
Leckat Corp: 03-6280 2620
Sin Seng Huat Seeds: 03-8060 9921
*
Awesome information! Thanks bro.

Yup, this is the same Gold Strike i'm talking about... have seen this article and it's really recent. but... i'm thinking...hmmmm... should i wait and see how this Gold Strike fare....? hmm...tought decision.... hmm.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 22 2008, 09:54 PM

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Hi MichaelJ.,

since you are an expert on oil palm. i would like to ask a question

the waste from Oil Palm when their oils are extracted, what can be done about the waste ?

any commercial purpose for the waste ?

thanks

Michael J.
post Feb 23 2008, 10:25 AM

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Paraoptical,

Yep, there are a dozen or so uses. I'll just mention the more common uses.

Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) are used as mulch, as studies have shown that the amount of potassium found in fresh EFBs is almost as high as that of Muriate of Potash normally used for fertilizer application.

Mesocarp fibre and shell are commonly used as fuel for the mill. This reduces dependency on fossil fuel. On average, a well managed mill can substiture 40% of its fossil fuel dependency with fibre and shell.

The ash from the burnt fibre and shell can be used for nitrogen and carbon fertilizer, but Malaysian government has now prohibited most companies from producing bunch ash, save for a select few. Apparently bunch ash production is pollutive.

A more nouvelle uses of mesocarp fibre include the manufacturing of fibre mats, which can be used for nursery matting, orchid fibre pots, door mats. I know of at least one company who does this as a core business, and they have been doing this for the last 10 years. Very profitable it seems. A more recent use I saw was as fibreboards and carton board material.

Crushed OP shell has commonly been used for soiless media. It has good drainage, but at the same sufficient water retention ability. It is also much easily sterilized compared to soil, a common practice in well established and managed nurseries.

Some research is still on-going for the use of the cellulose fibre from the mesocarp as feeder for bioethanol production, though how it would turn out I am still to find out.

OP fibre has been used to make paper as well, but from the quality of the paper I received, it seem too rough for everyday use. I've also come to know that there is this company from China that is buying coconut and OP logs for making parquet.


Added on February 23, 2008, 10:30 amOops, sorry about the parquet part... Forgot you asked about the fibre, not trunk...

Some time ago the fibre was also used for mushroom farming, but it appears to have lost favour compared to rice husk. Probably problem with sterilizing the fibre. But as far as I have observed, it is an excellent media for mushroom growing due to the high sugar content of the cellulignic fibre.

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Feb 23 2008, 10:30 AM
harnsheng
post Feb 23 2008, 06:07 PM

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hi...saw this thread when im browsing ard.. im a aquaculture student, studying at Uni Msia Sabah. hello all... and welcome to aquaculture industries! hehe... tongue.gif

TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 23 2008, 10:04 PM

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QUOTE(harnsheng @ Feb 23 2008, 06:07 PM)
hi...saw this thread when im browsing ard.. im a aquaculture student, studying at Uni Msia Sabah. hello all... and welcome to aquaculture industries! hehe... tongue.gif
*
hi how are you?

glad to have you around.

how's the Hybrid Grouper doing ? and how is Prof Saleem ?

harnsheng
post Feb 24 2008, 10:23 AM

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hybrid groupers are doing fine...now on average 3kg each. some does looks like giant grouper from the top view on the B tank.

Prof saleem is doing fine i guess...

r u from UMS also?
Darkus
post Feb 27 2008, 09:32 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Feb 14 2008, 08:14 AM)
may i ask what technology are you using from Australia and which company is it from? thanks would love to know more...
*
Hiya, currently we are using the Fish Protech System from Adelaide. Its really quite a simple water recirculation system. But as u know the simpler the more efficient it is. In the future expansion i've heard news of using Cell Aquaculture Tech, Yup the one thats recently on the news.

Anyone with any help on the Breeding/Seeding clinics?
rexis
post Feb 28 2008, 09:41 AM

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harnsheng, welcome aboard biggrin.gif should you have any research paper or findings regarding your field of study, you can expect some serious viewer here:)

Btw, ParaOptical is more like a practical student of aquaculture - he is running a fish farm now. He went to UMS for fish culturing information and he must've spoken to prof in person.

About myself... not even planting a chili yet, ahh yes, I gotta seed some black chili... I hv yet to send Micheal.J the seeds i promised - no i didnt forgot, just life got in the way :/

QUOTE(Michael J. @ Feb 23 2008, 10:25 AM)
Crushed OP shell has commonly been used for soiless media. It has good drainage, but at the same sufficient water retention ability. It is also much easily sterilized compared to soil, a common practice in well established and managed nurseries.

Some research is still on-going for the use of the cellulose fibre from the mesocarp as feeder for bioethanol production, though how it would turn out I am still to find out.
*
Just curious, isnt it easy to sterilize mineral soil by just oven the hell out of it with high temperature compare to by using a pressure cooker?

First time heard about oil palm fibre into bioethanol, perhaps due to most cellulose bioethanol research by western countries which more or less dislike oil palm. Its good to know some progress about it - just that hopefully it doesn't take them 20 years like how they came up with oil palm biodiesel(and eventually not using it).

This post has been edited by rexis: Feb 28 2008, 09:55 AM
Michael J.
post Feb 28 2008, 09:58 AM

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Bro... if you want to sterillize one pot, then fine... use those methods... I'm talking about 10-20 tonnes of soil lei.... where got oven or pressure cooker that big? Besides, you wouldn't to destroy soil structure lei... All soils have a threshold dryness that once dried past it, you can never return moisture to it anymore. So the most common method used is steam sterillization.

Erm... Actually palm oil has been known to be a good substitute for diesel more than 15 years ago... I believe it was first brought up in 1990. The reason why it took 20 years to develop what we now call palm biodiesel, was because of the controversies surrounding oil palm. Do note that oil palm and oil palm products are highly political items; the only other plant life that is more political are orchids.


Added on February 28, 2008, 10:05 amBy the by, anybody here have any suggestion for a suitable potting mix to use for chillies? The mix I used showing different results: Nursery premixed soil, seedling looking yellowish and like not vigour; Alluvial clay of fine particles, the seedling is doing very well, vigour is very good, and leaf appear as healthy green.

Need to transplant some 30 Hungarian Cherry Chilli seedlings soon. Also have Lilac Thai Bird's Eye and Thai Bird's Eye to transplant within the next 2 weeks.

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Feb 28 2008, 10:05 AM
rexis
post Feb 28 2008, 11:37 AM

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QUOTE(Michael J. @ Feb 28 2008, 09:58 AM)
Bro... if you want to sterillize one pot, then fine... use those methods... I'm talking about 10-20 tonnes of soil lei.... where got oven or pressure cooker that big? Besides, you wouldn't to destroy soil structure lei... All soils have a threshold dryness that once dried past it, you can never return moisture to it anymore. So the most common method used is steam sterillization.

Erm... Actually palm oil has been known to be a good substitute for diesel more than 15 years ago... I believe it was first brought up in 1990. The reason why it took 20 years to develop what we now call palm biodiesel, was because of the controversies surrounding oil palm. Do note that oil palm and oil palm products are highly political items; the only other plant life that is more political are orchids.


Added on February 28, 2008, 10:05 amBy the by, anybody here have any suggestion for a suitable potting mix to use for chillies? The mix I used showing different results: Nursery premixed soil, seedling looking yellowish and like not vigour; Alluvial clay of fine particles, the seedling is doing very well, vigour is very good, and leaf appear as healthy green.

Need to transplant some 30 Hungarian Cherry Chilli seedlings soon. Also have Lilac Thai Bird's Eye and Thai Bird's Eye to transplant within the next 2 weeks.
*
Then... roast the soil like roast coffee, temperature and timing controlled precisely, so roast until the whole thing reach 150 degree C for 20 secs then.... okay okay, only to a small pot, not to a truck full of soil.

Well, I do know POBD main reason for not being utilized(locally) is the price issue as well as some political issue(or NGO) from oversea(for being utilized in oversea). Political tool it is - same as petroleum, anything that able to contribute a major part of national income or outcome is always a political tool. I has read about alternative energy and has always puzzled about our local gov position in alternative energy - most people use petrol and they made biodiesel. Hence its good to know bout some bioethanol under development.

About your chili.... could it be that the cherry seeds you got is actually a hybrid result? Furthermore its seeds, which could be hybrid seeds' seeds, which could result in varying unforeseeable result.

Last time I used to plant chili in 100% compost mix, it is known as "japanese soil" at the pasar malam stall. The chili seedlings can live in the pot without any further fertilizer for up to 2 months and growing deliciously green.

Wait for my black chili lar, 100% Non-GMO and organic, i guess, hahaha. I'm gonna send a whole fruit to you... no, maybe partial fruit, u half i half, thats the one last dried black chili i got, fully ripen and dried in shade.
Michael J.
post Feb 28 2008, 02:18 PM

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Mmm.... But frankly speaking i'm quite sceptical about "biofuel" per se... Sure it can alleviate some of out fuel needs, but i hope people do not forget that agriculture is very resource intensive. Water is a major resource used consistently, as well as fertilizer, some of which comes from the petroleum industry;Most need to be mined, like Rock Phosphate (RP)and Ground Magnesium Limestone (GML), which again raises the issue of land degradation. As it is, we are in fact at the point of having a SHORTAGE of clean drinking water... and water is the most abundant resource on Earth.

I'm not saying we should not do agriculture, but what I want to say is do agriculture in a responsible way... Burning food for car fuel is stupid, period. If use waste products of agriculture, like fresh pruned fronds of OP, wheat sheafs and rice husks, or maybe even sugarcane molasses for ethanol production, then fine; these have not much other uses except maybe mulching. But to use corn grains, palm oil, sugarcane sugar etc to convert into fuel, I call that irresponsible, especially when millions of people are dying from starvation. And right now, the situation is made worse because of the demand of such foods for the use in making this so called "biofuel" giving rise to food shortage and immense price hikes. Food prices have literally jumped 30-40% over the last few months!!! For the better off few, we can still afford that sort of price hike now; but for those in a lower income group? What becomes of them? And if we look at the bigger picture, world food production is not enough even right now to sustain the 6.2 billion world population, what more when we start burning food for fuel?

Then some idiot comes up with idea "Let's use a non-food crop instead". No difference. We're still straining the meagre resources left on this planet. The end result is still the same; We're burning precious resources and not cycling them properly. This is what I call irresponsible. This is what I call short-sightedness.

My uncle once told me this: "Doing intensive problem solving is like a person studying the anus of a cockroach; how it looks, how it functions, how big or small it is, and how well designed it is". As I ponder on it, I just feel that although it is important to be intense when solving problems, sometimes we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. If we look too intensely at one thing, we become short-sighted about other things. Yes, biofuel could very well solve our fuel problems, but does it fit in well with preventing further land degradation? Or water quality degradation? Is it sensible to address fuel shortage problems by burning food that could otherwise be used to feed people dying from hunger, another global problem?

To me, in this world there can never be a perfect system. The best we can do is to choose the lesser of two weasels. And biofuel is not the lesser weasel in the current case.

TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 28 2008, 02:20 PM

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no i am not from UMS. i just happen to know Prof Saleem during an exhibition and he invited me to do practical at UMS on the Hybrid Groupers...

great research being done on the hybrid groupers. i understand they can grow quite fast.

QUOTE(harnsheng @ Feb 24 2008, 10:23 AM)
hybrid groupers are doing fine...now on average 3kg each. some does looks like giant grouper from the top view on the B tank.

Prof saleem is doing fine i guess... 

r u from UMS also?
*
TSParaOpticaL
post Feb 28 2008, 02:23 PM

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Hi Darkus,

what's the investment like for Fish Protech. i heard its very very expensive for one module. are you with Maju Ikan ?

QUOTE(Darkus @ Feb 27 2008, 09:32 PM)
Hiya, currently we are using the Fish Protech System from Adelaide. Its really quite a simple water recirculation system. But as u know the simpler the more efficient it is. In the future expansion i've heard news of using Cell Aquaculture Tech, Yup the one thats recently on the news.

Anyone with any help on the Breeding/Seeding clinics?
*
Michael J.
post Feb 28 2008, 02:41 PM

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Hahaha... bro, my Hungarian fellas are ok so far... i need to transplant them into something better lar... The one with yellowing problem is my Tabasco Chilli... Three seedling that I transplanted initially not growing anywhere as vigourous as the single seedling I left as control. I'm thinking along the line of sunlight deficiency, as the place where I kept the three received only 5 hours partial sunlight, about 1.5 hours early morning light, 2 hours afternoon light, and 1.5 hours evening light. The control received about 6 hours sunlight, but full sunlight. My guess is that Chlorophyl A in chillies need to receive at least 5 hours full sunlight to properly convert soil nutrients to sugars at my place. Probably because of higher cloud cover here.

I'd be glad to receive your chilli seeds. However got some bad news: none of the stored Kulai Red seeds I had germinated. One year old only and viability of seeds kaput. Also, my Thai-Cherry hybrid has died from phytoptora root fungus. Fortunately I sowed some of the selfed seeds early on, so now I have a crossing population that will be ready in about 4 weeks time for transplant. Hopefully I can get a good enough parent-type for further hybrid development.

harnsheng
post Feb 28 2008, 03:44 PM

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hehe... if u guys need any info, i try to find la...
we all still learning..
me not much knowledge on table fish but as for ornamental, i have some hands-on experience in breeding some of the species..


Added on February 28, 2008, 6:39 pmya...hybrid groupers did grow fast.. currently average on 3kg each for 1.5 years fish. most believe it could grow even faster if we had enough supply of feeds for them. there is a time where we had a shortage of trash fish and they have to starved.

This post has been edited by harnsheng: Feb 28 2008, 06:39 PM
Darkus
post Mar 2 2008, 11:54 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Feb 28 2008, 02:23 PM)
Hi Darkus,

what's the investment like for Fish Protech. i heard its very very expensive for one module. are you with Maju Ikan ?
*
well, lets just say for a 8 module farm, itll cost u 2mill, not at all associated with maju ikan, but they have sent some workers to our farm for training. They have their own farm in sepang, that is still under Fish Protech operators.
harnsheng
post Mar 2 2008, 08:50 PM

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wow... thats very very high modal n investment. what would be the turn-out of using this tech? how much could u get and how long needed to cover back cost and expenses?
kianwei8
post Mar 11 2008, 10:13 PM

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Hey,Everyone ,this my project in UPM ,i was planting Sweet Corn, Kai-lan, and BAsella Alba, this wil be last project for my Agribusiness Degree, Share pic with u allAttached Image Attached Image Attached Image


The 3rd Pic was Jatropha do by another Student

This post has been edited by kianwei8: Mar 11 2008, 10:17 PM


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rexis
post Mar 12 2008, 09:03 AM

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KW8, thanks for sharing.

Jatropha, tell me more about Jatropha.

Again, Jatropha is receiving coverage by the agri magazine AgriWorld, and this time it is cover story. The formal president of Pitaya Assiciation(watever they called it) has started with a couple of acres of Jatropha and he even imported a oil press from Thai to extract the oil. Another article mentioned that due to palm oil boycott by NGO for use in biodiesel, therefore Jatropha oil is expected to perform in a few years time when the diesel oil price shoot further.

Anyhow, I guess these guys are not getting the point here. Thou not a consumable oil, such large scale farming do displace food crop and it is not as productive as oil palm. But anyhow, large scale plantation is unavoidable if a certain crop is found being profitable.

Theres part of the article mentioned that it can be used as perimeter crop, if a market demand has been created for Jatropha, farmers can make an extra income out of it. But large scale farming is unavoidable once the demand is up. There are a group of folks even thought about

And ahh.. ic ic, Basella Alba is emperor vege..

- - -

MJ, btw, a little thing about your chili from thai... thai has much more chili farming then Malaysia, therefore, their chili is expected to have more disease, perhaps more variety too, they start treating their seeds with fungicide before sowing. So could it be this reason thats why your poor chili become fungus host?

Just got the latest Agriworld I read about a guy in the article who planting chili, hes new in chili as his farm mainly mata kuching and attempted to plant chili on his vacant land. The article also mentioned Turbo EM and Plantonic which i guess is part of the advertisement, it also mentioned that the farmer apply "activated carbon" around the crop for good. The most interesting part that caught my attention is this folk actually got all his seeds from the supermarket - buy in ripen kulai chili and take out the seeds.

This is the 3rd month of his harvest season, and most of his plants are going strong, pods more then leaves, but the pods appear to be slightly smaller then first harvest.

Know anything bout activated carbon? They looks like those charcoal people used for orchid.

- - -

And the magazine also mentioned about
- oil palm cloning, harvesting, fertilizer case study.
- jack fruit and mango and star fruit
- straw mushroom farming
- climate change, resources, and eco system
- pesticide guide
- compost
- a bit bout plant inheritance and DNA smile.gif
- sparrow farming,
- about a fish farm that raise keli fish in water container(much like the one Para is doing)
- plankton(as feed) and spirulina farming
- beneficial life form in fish pond
- etc etc
Tell me which one you interest most smile.gif i bet Para is ringing a bell.

This post has been edited by rexis: Mar 12 2008, 01:22 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 12 2008, 10:09 AM

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8 module for RM 2 million.

how much is the production per module ?


QUOTE(Darkus @ Mar 2 2008, 11:54 AM)
well, lets just say for a 8 module farm, itll cost u 2mill, not at all associated with maju ikan, but they have sent some workers to our farm for training. They have their own farm in sepang, that is still under Fish Protech operators.
*
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 12 2008, 10:11 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Mar 12 2008, 09:03 AM)

And the magazine also mentioned about
- oil palm cloning, harvesting, fertilizer case study.
- compost
- sparrow farming,
- about a fish farm that raise keli fish in water container(much like the one Para is doing)
- plankton(as feed) and spirulina farming
- beneficial life form in fish pond
- etc etc
Tell me which one you interest most smile.gif i bet Para is ringing a bell.
*
got time to inform us more on these few topics ?

you are i am very interested...hehe biggrin.gif

------------------

Kianwai,

are those plastic sheets covering the soil ?
Michael J.
post Mar 12 2008, 01:18 PM

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Rexis,

Yes but i don't think it is due to that. I have a feeling it is the media used, as the plant that died was using a soiless nursery mix, so my guess is that due to the partially sterile environment it was grown, the plant was not well inocculated against phytoptora root rot. One good reason was that i potted both the bought plant (an ornamental chili) and my Tabasco seed grown plants in the same soil media. My Tabasco is fine, although somewhat stunted (recovering now, proves my sunlight hypothesis to an extent), but the ornamental fella died fast. Similarly, other seed grown plantlets are doing fine. So my observation now is that early stage inocculation is crucial to seedling survival and development. This proves the EM arguement to be valid; at least I'm quite convinved about it.

Expanding on this further, I would like to point out that many plants do have very close symbiotic relationships with fungi. Even more so if the plant originates from a climax community primary forest, such as that in the Amazon and Malaysia. Chili plants in that purvue would most likely be one of those plants, althought they may not be as fussy about who their symbion is. Think about this in a scientific and logical manner: How could a seed with almost no endosperm germinate and develop into a massive plant by comparison? Hence, it is to my view that for good cropping for chili at least, seedlings should not be bought for planting as the seedlings may not have the right inocculum to help it establish itself. Instead, seedlings should be raised from seed in-situ using the soil media that would eventually become the growing medium for the mature plant. In that way, the associated microbes are not disturbed, and the seedlings would have the right combination of inocculum to ensure survival and proper development at the specific site of planting.


Added on March 12, 2008, 1:22 pmBro Rexis,

You got me at activated carbon. Activated carbon is used for a couple of reasons: (1) As a 'scrubber', i.e. to absorb soil toxins and lechates (2) As a pH balancer through redox reaction, i.e. balancing negative and positive ions in soil; important when talking about soil nutrient uptake and release.

By any chance you have the article in soft copy? Can send me?

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Mar 12 2008, 01:22 PM
rexis
post Mar 12 2008, 02:11 PM

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MJ,

Ahh, i read about a papaya farmer give his seedlings some "aging" process to make the seedlings yellowish by reduce sunlight, reduce water etc ways of "torturing" them so that can grow up to be more tolerant to harm and less tasty to pest. So by now I have an impression that plants start their life better in compost or natural old soil.

Oh about the "activated carbon" they apply it by covering the soil around the plant and say it will prevent fungus growth and can act as "moisture regulator"(guess it means capture moisture). One paragraph only, you hv finish reading it.

Anyhow, i guess the purposes are interrelated and the main one should be like what you mentioned.
Michael J.
post Mar 12 2008, 03:37 PM

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Haha... yea, rexis... Something like that. The process is called hardening. There are many ways of doing this, and there is no hard and fast rule about it. However, for seedlings raised in nursery beds, this hardening process is still a must, especially after transplanting from nursery pot to main growing pot (or bag whichever you're using).

Mmm... activated carbon to control fungus? Moisture regulator? He talking about mulching ah? Well maybe the guy did not see any mushrooms growing where his plants are so he assumed can prevent fungus lor.... But the truth is that activated carbon, even in pellet form, is a pretty good medium for mycelium adherance. As for water regulator.... that depends. As a mulch, activated carbon doesn't have much water holding capacity, unless you soak it for about a week and after that keep it wet at all times. But if he's talking about cation exchange capacity with regard to water, then yea, it does make a difference.

By the by, please do note that carbon is basis of all life on earth. So don't think that carbon is not important in soil and nutritient; it is the opposite for carbon is the most important component, but most ignored.


kianwei8
post Mar 12 2008, 07:45 PM

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Harvest Kai-lan today, Corn stil 16-20days

Attached Image Fish Pond FertilizerAttached Image Organice FertilizerAttached Image CornAttached Image PitayaAttached Image
Kailan



I practise Organic Farming and inter-crop way ,therefore grow Veg v weed, not use pesticid. The Kai-lan taste was nice!! thumbup.gif

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rexis
post Mar 13 2008, 10:43 AM

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hi, KW.

Wonderful picture there, would like to know more details.

Can you tell us more about the details of your agri project?

Like whats the topic(intercropping kai lan and sweetcorn organicly? organic sweetcorn nutrition? etcetc),
objectives(how organic farming keep up with chemical farming?),
and how you do that(do you clear the land or the land ready for you? Do you get to use all those tractor etc?)?

It gotta be something related with organic!

I have always interested about Agriculture degree, perhaps you have some idea about is there any part time course in UPM? Particularly part time degree.

Pretty corn girl there biggrin.gif , and am i looking at you gf or yourself?

- - -

MJ, ahh yes yes, hardening is the proper word. So what is the few of the ways to harden the crop? I know one way for sure, from the hydroponic site, they use fan to blow the seedlings to make them more resistance to wind.

- - -

Maize in Malaysia
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «


My 2 cents! (no more 1 cent soon!)

edit: added spoiler due to long winded article

This post has been edited by rexis: Mar 13 2008, 11:11 AM
Michael J.
post Mar 13 2008, 11:24 AM

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Hardening depends on the manner your seedling exits the system lor... Tissue cultured plants like orchids for example requires stepwise exposure to the environment, eg. controlled sunlight exposure, air contact etc. Like for hydroponic, the main reason they do wind hardening is because the seedlings grow on liquid based media, the fluid content of the cellular matrix is much higher than normal; so should there be a drought period, or if water in soil/media after transplant insufficiently high, it may cause the plant to bend or snap. By hardening using wind, the cuticle layer is toughened to withstand wind damage better lor...

Very dependant one lar this hardening process... but is crucial to do it anyhow to reduce transplanting shock to seedlings later on.

Erm... kernel cake ah? hahaha.... Actually got do one. My company got process it lor.. Quite a good response. But the main reason why maize and grains are still used is because of politics.... Ministers-minister got interest in certain companies that sell such stuff....

Mmm... do note that the main reason why grain prices have leaped so much over the recent months is because of US bioethanol production. Whatever grains US has, all kena sapu by bioethanol producers.


Added on March 13, 2008, 11:37 amkianwei,

Erm.... organic farming = growing with weeds? Not necessary so... Ever heard of mulching ah? Plastic mulching not considered organic mulching, can still use wood shavings ma? good control of weeds. Wont eliminate weeds, but can at leat control them from getting out of hand.

Mmm... sure 100% organic or not? No use of inorganic pesticide is one thing, how about the fertilizer? Are those fertilizers i see 100% organic or fortified organic fertilizers? If organic fertilizer, how do you do quality control to ensure crop uniformity?


Added on March 13, 2008, 12:11 pmrexis,

Eh... got company doing that de lei... check out this company called Vermicast. Although they sell the earthworm casting as fertilizer, the also sell the excess worms as feed. Not sure if they process the worms first or not, but that's what the exhibitor told us at MICCOS. Oh, by the by, my company is also doing research on earthworms, and our earthworm breeding programme is a great success. We should be able to publish our findings in The Planter soon.

Hmmm.... I have to point something out, I hope i have not said this before. Malaysia has very limited arable land. In Peninsular Malaysia, save for our forested areas, we have used up all of our good agriculture land. Whatever land still available for development are largely marginal soils which are not very good for agriculture. East Malaysian land bank is still quite big, but then again most of them are peat soils, which give rise to a number of issues related to agri (i) Agriculture quality (ii) Cost effectiveness (iii) Environmental and social issues. There are many more, but these are the core issues at hand when thinking of developing peat land.


So the real issue at hand in Malaysia is not trying to just increase production of food crops, but how to best utilize existing agriland and make it sustainable in the long run. If compared to Indon or Thailand, Malaysia really has little arable land, and so in terms of scale of production we really cannot compete against them. But in terms of quality we have a definite fighting chance IF the focus of the scientific community and the agriculturist is on the same path.

Frankly speaking i'm very dissapointed with the government agencies dealing with agriculture. They are more willing to spend millions of ringgit doing research work that bears little or no significant results or value, than to work together with dedicated individuals to push the forefronts of the industry. Look at how advanced the crops that are being produced in Europe and US. They are talking about a 10-20% improvement in crop performance per year!! And Malaysia? We're barely improving some of our crop performance by 1% per year!!

This is appalling to say the least. It's a shame that the government agencies, who supposedly have huge funds backing them are not able to achieve what some in the private sector are achieving today; worse still, those private sector fellas achieved their results with less than a fraction of the cost government agencies are incurring. What is even more appalling is that some INDIVIDUALS are getting far better results than the government agencies.

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Mar 13 2008, 12:11 PM
rexis
post Mar 14 2008, 08:45 AM

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Not necessary need to eradicate weeds, I know some of the sweetcorn planters actually ignore the weeds and let them grow before they harvest, as according to them, this will help maintain moisture.

I have read somewhere in www.journeytoforever.org about an article that talk about a fruit estate which over fertilized their land and result in reduced production, after they hv abundant the estate for a year and back, they accidentally discovered that, although the estate is nearly outgrown by 'weeds', the fruit trees also looks very healthy and bearing lots of fruit. It is said that the weeds that have deep roots actually bring up the deep soil nutrient and sort of balanced up the soil, etc etc. I remember one type of plant they mentioned is close relative to egg plant.

- - -

Hey, tell me about your earthworms and <Planters>.

I hv used to keep a box of earthworms(just 10+ la till they breeding small one) until my mum found it ^^" and hv been interested about breeding stuff with organic plant waste.

- - -

Replying other topic after proper digestion smile.gif
Michael J.
post Mar 14 2008, 02:00 PM

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Rexis,

There is a lot of dispute regarding the use of 'weeds' as living mulch. After all, a 'weed' is any plant life that is not the planted (crop) found growing within the vicinity or area of the said crop. Even beneficial plants like those used in Integrated Pest Management, if found growing outside of their designated grow-zones (i.e. palm circle, rentice etc.) are considered 'weeds'.

Some of the proposed disadvantages surrounding the use of 'weeds' as living mulch include:
(i) Competition with crop plants. Do note that weeds are usually highly competitive plants, which mean they quickly drain the immediate surrounding of important nutrients crucial to crop growth and performance. For perennial, care against weeds is crucial especially in the establishing years leading up to first harvest. There after, weeding regimes may be loosened a little, but kept running. For annuals, this is even more crucial, as annuals are very similar to many weeds in terms of growth pattern. There have been numerous studies done by agronomist on weed competition, but as the papers they write tend to be somewhat dry and unexciting, not many people really care to read about it. Weeding on plantations are not done for no reason lei, and chemical costs wouldn't be so darn high if weeding was not crucial.

(ii) 'Weeds' draw nutrients locked underground and deposit them on the top soil layer. This notion is not true at all. Most weeds like sedges, grasses, reeds etc have a shallow root system, which is within the top 15-20cm of soil. The top 30-40cm of soil is still considered top soil, so i cannot understand how weeds are able to draw nutrients locked underground to the top soil layer if their root system only goes down to 20cm. As for what the sweetcorn farmers you mentioned earlier said, note what you wrote: "... they let them grow before they harvest..". Meaning to say they allow the weeds to grow when harvest season is approaching, right? Then that would make economic sense, as a few things have to considered here (a) You want to reduce cost, and since harvest season is only 1-1.5 months or so away, what for apply weedicide? (b) Your crop may be affected by the weedicide, reducing it's appeal, i.e. weedicide damage on corn cob, weedicide residue etc. © Again relating to the harvest season. You're going to harvest everything soon, and after tilling the land, you still need to apply weedicide. Might as well do it after harvest during tillage since it is just a couple of weeks away.

I think the plant you are referring to as looking like eggplant is called Mucuna bracteata. That is not a weed unless it grows where it shouldn't. The key differences with that plant and your average weed is that (a) unlike weeds, Mucuna is very deep rooted, up to 100-120cm depending on soil type and elevation. This means that it is effective and efficient in drawing underground nutrients up to the top soil level. (b) Mucuna is shade intolerant, meaning it will die back as the crop plant grows and forms a shade. This means that at least for tree crops, the shade the tree forms as it matures will ensure that little immediate competition is given by Mucuna over time. © Mucuna is gregarious in growth, meaning that the organic matter it deposits (through die back, root mass etc) is very much higher than weeds. This also means that the deep drawn nutrients from underground are deposited abundantly right at the top soil layer, making it easily accessed by the root system of crop plants. (d) Mucuna is leguminous, meaning that it has root nodules that provide growth space for beneficial rhizo bacterium to grow. Rhizo bacterium by the way, are bacteria that fixes atmospheric nitrogen into the soil, thereby enriching soil fertility. Read up on the nitrogen cycle for more understanding.

(iii) 'Weeds' keep soil moist. Partially true. Weed root mass and body do lock in soil moisture, and their rather extensive root system on the top soil layer does keep the top soil layer somewhat friable. But that's just the top soil layer. For annuals, maybe that is more crucial, but perennial not so.

Now, 'weeds' do have some plus points worth noting, although the way they are meant to be used does not make them 'weeds':
(i) Green cover. This is part of IPM method. Provide herbivorous insects with a green space where they can feed and live, and they won't disturb your plants so much. Green cover also provides shelter and breeding place for beneficial insects that control the troublesome ones.

(ii) Ground cover. Ensure soil in non-planting zones does not flow-off, otherwise known as soil erosion. However, this role can be substituted by other plant forms.
ekestima
post Mar 14 2008, 02:17 PM

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TS, very informative thread here. Nice work. I think both agriculture & aquaculture have very bright potential.
Michael J.
post Mar 14 2008, 02:20 PM

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Over fertility is a major problem in many start up farm. It could be due to many reasons why something as such happens. Maybe there wasn't a soil nutrient analysis that was done; or maybe just plain ignorance. Under fertilizing the soil and over fertilizing the soil results in the same thing: Reduced yields. The equation does not work where >Fertilizer = >Productivity. There is a threshold level for fertilizers. This, as with all things biological in nature, is dependent on many factors. The most important factor, and one that we most definitely have control on, is the soil type. Different soils have different nutrient holding capacity. Selangor Series soils are more balanced, so is the Serdang Series. Acid sulphate soils on the other hand are rather troublesome to manage, as their nutrient holding capacity fluctuates quick broadly. (Acid sulphate soils narmally are the result of peat soils breaking down over time). Needless to say, sandy soils have the worst nutrient holding capacity, so fertilizer regimes must be more frequent, but in much more controlled amounts.

The second thing that is somewhat in our control is the crop type. Different crop species are known for their differing intensities on fertilizers. Leaf crops live leaf vegetables need more Nitrogen (N), so more nitrogen based fertilizers like Ammonium Nitrate or Urea should be applied instead of the other 3 components. For fruiting types, you need more Potassium (K), so fertilizers like Muriate of Potash should be applied more. That's just a general guide, but the key point here is that as a planter, you MUST KNOW what you are planting. No short cuts.

Rexis, I feel that what the orchard manager saw was more of an associated occurence. If truly the orchard has been over-fertilized till the point of crop reduction, how would additional fertilizer brought up by weeds help recover it? No, i feel that it is true that the weeds helped bring balance to the nutrient status of the orchard, but not by bringing in extra nutrients from deep soil; instead, i feel what had happened was that the vigorous growth nature of the weeds have managed to sap the soil of so much nutrient that balance managed to be achieved. As you noted, the orchard was heavily overgrown. However, leave it like that for a further one year, then as soil fertility reduces, the crop production may very well fall again.


Added on March 14, 2008, 2:51 pmEkestima,

Yes, agriculture and aquaculture most definitely have bright futures. The only problem that lies ahead is there is no consensus or integrative networking amongst all the farmers/planters/operator. Everyone just minds their own business; there is no unity. Just look at Thailand for a simple and quick reference, and compare Malaysia. Maybe Thailand is too advanced for Malaysia; let's just compare Indonesia to Malaysia then. I dunno how many people watches Agrotech on RTM, but if you have been watching it long enough, you would notice that 80% of the farms and techniques featured are from countries outside of Malaysia, especially Thailand and Indon.

If we want to be productive and effective, we have to push the limits. We have to crash through the barriers. We have to have a corporate spirit. I really love the quote the CEO of my company uses:" If you want to have fried eggs, you've got to crack the egg first".

Call me competitive, but I cannot stand staring at the backside of others who are running far ahead. And it's not because it's an ugly sight seeing flabby buttocks jiggling up and down.... hahaha.... At the very least I have to be running side by side with the others.

Now i don't mean that since other nation got send people into space, we should too. What i'm saying is that we must measure ourselves to what those at our level can do. Once we've broken the barrier, we move to a higher level. No such thing as 'skipping grades'. And who's at our level? Thailand? Indon? Phillipines? or are they considered too "off-track"? Then in that case, compare ourselves to Taiwan, a nation not recognized by the UN, and yet so much more advanced than ourselves.


Added on March 14, 2008, 3:11 pmHaha.... Rexis my brother, i cannot share too much information regarding the earthworm breeding to you lar... At least not until the scientist working on it decides to publish their study lor... work ethics. Furthermore, if you decide to start one breeding plot, you may run some of the smaller operators out of business lei... harharhar....! Maybe i could share more with you if i manage to be at Midvalley gathering this 29th March.

The Planter is an exclusive journal that is published by the Incorporated Society of Planters. ISP is an international body, with members from various countries, usually ex-colonial nations. Hence, being rather exclusive, membership is likewise 'exclusive'. My company has been encouraging me to join the Society, but i've yet to formally hand in my proposal. Too much work to do till no time to get the necessary signatures. I may decide to get it signed by end of March, since after the last presentation I made, the signatories have been much impressed. I hope that impression would at least motivate them to endorse my candidature to the Society.

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Mar 14 2008, 03:13 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 14 2008, 03:16 PM

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my sincere belief is that if the Govt Agencies opens up abit more rather than being siding one side...am sure the country will prosper especially the agriculture and aquaculture sector.
daniel_ng
post Mar 16 2008, 12:34 AM

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i am new here, and would like some update on the soon hock. I am very interested. I have my own land. Aqua farmer could you furnish me with your contact details so that i can pay you a visit asap. rclxms.gif


Added on March 16, 2008, 12:41 amAbout Jatropha Curcas. This plant is now widely planted in India. It has 33% of oil produced. I come to know about this 4 years back but i drop it last 1 1/2 years due do many reason in malaysia MPOB as biodiesel is currently using palm oil. rclxub.gif

This post has been edited by daniel_ng: Mar 16 2008, 12:41 AM
Darkus
post Mar 16 2008, 12:41 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 12 2008, 10:09 AM)
8 module for RM 2 million.

how much is the production per module ?
*
5-6mT/month/module


TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 16 2008, 08:54 AM

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hi daniel,

why dont you come to our meet up on the 29th March @ Nando Mid Valley. biggrin.gif

QUOTE(daniel_ng @ Mar 16 2008, 12:34 AM)
i am new here, and would like some update on the soon hock. I am very interested. I have my own land. Aqua farmer could you furnish me with your contact details so that i can pay you a visit asap. rclxms.gif


Added on March 16, 2008, 12:41 amAbout Jatropha Curcas. This plant is now widely planted in India. It has 33% of oil produced. I come to know about this 4 years back but i drop it last 1 1/2 years due do many reason in malaysia MPOB as biodiesel is currently using palm oil.  rclxub.gif
*
rexis
post Mar 17 2008, 12:01 PM

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MJ,

ICIC, no prob, so how? Everything done already? Coming liao?

Ah, so thats the purpose of GAP, proper control of weeds is always crucial for any sensible harvest.

We have been terrified by stories of heavily pesticided crops causing sickness and cancer(especially by direct sellers selling vitamins - eat vege also no uses so eat my pills, WTF) and this is how people promote the organic way too.

Agriculture is actually working *against* the nature so there is no 100% "natural" way to do it, the nature is always attempting to turn your farmland back to forest and weeds is one of the proof. You need to put weeds down to knees by properly control it, either chemically or manually.

Theres an interesting idea i read about to make use of geese in weeds control(they are vegetarian), that is raise a batch of young geese with types of particular weeds so that they are used to eating the mentioned plant. When they grow up, release them in the farm and they will clear out all the weeds for you full time.

But, i guess it wont take too long for the geese to discover that chilies pods or seedlings etc are delicious as well!

- - -

Welcome daniel_ng, perhaps you can share with us a bit about your background?
pleasuresaurus
post Mar 17 2008, 03:04 PM

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Hi guys, quick question: is there an existing thread discussing dairy farming or cultivating livestock such as goats or cows?
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 17 2008, 03:49 PM

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QUOTE(pleasuresaurus @ Mar 17 2008, 03:04 PM)
Hi guys, quick question: is there an existing thread discussing dairy farming or cultivating livestock such as goats or cows?
*
nope not at the moment
please feel free to contribute
rexis
post Mar 17 2008, 05:12 PM

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Guess MJ will have a very good understand about this one but its an open topic.

What method we can use to extract oil content? From fruit, seed, etc.

Pressure - using screw press to squeeze out the oil content with high pressure, can involve heavy equipment that can process tons of ingredients per hour to a hand operated screw press with 1-2 kg per hour.

Water seperation - something like how they extract olive oil?

Chemical - use a chemical solvent to wash out the oil content, high tech stuff.

---

Lets say I happened to have some oil seeds here, what is the best way to extract it?

I have been thinking about using a car hydraulic lift to press the content thru a wire mesh. But it seem a little complicated and messy.

So I am now looking at the olive oil way, I am going to blend/beat the seeds into pulp, then pour the goo into boiling water and let the oil float naturally, then i scoop them up.

QUOTE(pleasuresaurus @ Mar 17 2008, 03:04 PM)
Hi guys, quick question: is there an existing thread discussing dairy farming or cultivating livestock such as goats or cows?
*
Hmm, did i posted any Jamnapari information before? But i did mentioned it before somewhere in this forum.

Feel free to ask here, I will see what I can find. Even better if you feel like contribute.
Michael J.
post Mar 17 2008, 08:29 PM

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bro rexis,

Haha... Not yet settle lar... Everyone in the committee busy with Good Friday and Easter lei.... Easter Sunday we will convene and settle the issues lor... I'll give my final word 3-4 days before the 29th?

Hmm... in Sepang, I used to rear a lot of fowls. Ducks and geese.... despite quite good at controlling weeds, they make a mess of the soil lei.. I kept Muscovy Whites, and those typical brown geese you see in kampungs. Before keeping the ducks and geese, i had kept Guinea Fowls, which are these very beautiful ground birds from Africa. Also good in controlling weeds, slugs, snails, and snakes. Only downside is that they are crazy noisemakers, especially the females. I only had one female who was quiet and very tame; i hand picked her as a juvenile. Oh, and one other thing is that although they seem flightless and prefer to run about on the ground, they are very good flyers. Meaning to say, they can fly very far distances, even on top of a two storey house roof.

mmm.... Funny you mentioned about oil extraction... here at the RD, we also extract tea tree oil, along with a number of other plant based essential oils. Just as a research interest, although for tea tree oil, we are one the largest exporter of pure oil to the European market. I can't show you or tell you how the extractor we works, but let me just give you a key word: steam.


Added on March 17, 2008, 8:32 pmoh ya... ps: before you go off using steam or hot water etc to extract oil from crushed seed, please do note that heating cost is very VERY expensive... just had a look at my Heat Chamber electricity bill.... almost fainted... Hahaha....

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Mar 17 2008, 08:32 PM
kianwei8
post Mar 18 2008, 09:36 AM

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haha, thank

Just discuss abt Potential Crop v Prof yesterday

inc: Jatropha,Valina, Seaweed,.....


RExis- abt jatropha may google it, ya, actually my Veg cant b "organic' coz the ppl be4 use
chemical ,so the land was contaminate, however , i was learn form Australia Organic farm
yaya,clear the land v machine, later show u pic

ParaOpticaL- yaya, tat one is Silver shine @ plastic mulch, use to maintain soil moisture n temperature, control weed


UPM hv goats and Cow farm and training course for mushroom,fish seed , etc just less ppl know abt it


Added on March 18, 2008, 9:49 amHEy,Every one

Jatropha seed was available for sale , may PM me

This post has been edited by kianwei8: Mar 18 2008, 09:49 AM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 18 2008, 12:13 PM

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kianwei : if there is any fish related courses please let us know.. thanks

------------------------

am planning to postpone the meet up from 29th March to 5th April 2008.

would it be ok for most ?

kianwei8
post Mar 18 2008, 10:03 PM

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okok , will inform u ppl if vh fish related courses

yaya, prefer5th April 2008
rexis
post Mar 19 2008, 09:07 AM

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QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Mar 18 2008, 10:03 PM)
okok , will inform u ppl if vh fish related courses

yaya, prefer5th April 2008
*
Dont forget about my vegetable/crop related courses too! Basically, if possible, all agri related course biggrin.gif
Michael J.
post Mar 19 2008, 09:44 PM

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5th April ah...? Yor.... maybe if i leave early morning can make it lor... 4th April night i've got Church Council meeting lei.... But i'm keen to come; need to get a present for my sweets ler... XD...!

Hey, i've some soil media results to share from my chili growth trial. Let me just list it out simply:

Exp - Optimum structural matrix of soil for nursery and pot cultivation of Capsicum annum var. Tabasco (New Mexico)

Obj - To determine the optimum soil composition and structural matrix for best growth and establishment of Tabasco chili peppers

Test - i. Common nursery premix of 3:2:1 ratio consisting of burnt soil, peat soil, and high organic clay loam (inland alluvial soil)
ii. Self mixing of 1:1 ratio consisting burnt laterite and high organic clay loam (low acid sulphate soil)
iii. Natural occuring inland alluvial soil, of clay loam consistency
iv. Natural occuring marine alluvial soil, of clay loam consistency

Pre - i. All seedlings used are of comparable size and vigour, with no clear advantage against each other, each one at the four leaf stage during transplanting
ii. Each 20cm D x 30cm H pot was planted with 3 seedlings each at equilateral triangle (equal distance) to even out competition among seedlings
iii. Soon after transplanting into respective media, all seedlings were given equal treatment of rooting hormone and plant growth regulator to reduce transplanting shock, at a rate of 1:500 ratio hormone powder + growth regulator per seedling

Obsv - Although the balanced nursery premix was hypothesized to give the best results, observation showed otherwise. Of the 4 treatments, it was found that the self-mix gave rise to the best growth of seedlings, followed by natural inland alluvial, natural marine alluvial, and lastly the nursery premix. On closer observation, it was found that soil compaction had occured extensively in the nursery premix, possibly brought about by higher watering regime during the drought period between January - February period. Extensive compaction of soil matrix had also occured in inland alluvial soil and marine alluvial soil, although it was observed that despite soil compaction, seedlings planted had managed to develop far more superiorly than seedlings in nursey premix. Seedlings in both inland and marine alluvial had managed to reach 10 leaf stage within 2.5 weeks since transplanting. The most alarming yet gratifying observation was made with the self-mix, as seedlings transplanted were far more superior in growth and development than seedlings in other soils. Seedlings planted in 1:1 self-mix had achieved 10 leaf stage within 1.5 weeks, and at sampling point on 3rd week since transplant had already acheived 15 leaf stage. First branching is expected to take place within the 4 week. Leaf area of seedlings in self-mix were observed to be 5 times that of seedlings planted in inland and marine alluvials, while leaf area against nursery premix was 7 times greater.

It was observed that the water holding capacity of each soil class differed greatly. The self-mix had the best drainage, with loosely packed soil grains. The nursery premix had the second best drainage, although soil compaction was extensive and water penetration was far slower than self-mix. This was followed by the marine alluvial soil. The inland alluvial was found to have the worst drainage. It is therefore inferred that optimal soil structure for chili cultivation would be one with high porosity, easily friable structure, but with moderate ion holding capacity (makes a weak doughnut shape when mixed with water, sandy loam consistency, low compaction risk). It is therefore postulated that riverine alluvials, which are characterized with high sediment content, sandy loam consistency, and generally good drainage ability to be most suitable for chili cultivation. Nonetheless, due to its porous nature, higher input of fertilizers are required, either organic or inorganic.


I'm still keeping this test moving as i would like to see how far the seedlings can develop before having problems, especially those planted in my self-mix. Will be getting a fertigation hobby kit this Friday, possibly getting it up and running latest this Sunday. I will be using my self-mix to test the system.. Don't really trust cocopeat as media.
kianwei8
post Mar 23 2008, 05:16 PM

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Attached Image Attached Image Attached Image Attached Image Attached Image

Visit to United Platation Kuala Bernam Estate,Perak,with Estate Manager on Feb


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post Mar 23 2008, 05:31 PM

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This post has been edited by kianwei8: Mar 23 2008, 05:32 PM
Michael J.
post Mar 23 2008, 08:34 PM

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Haha... That's En. Ridzuan...! Kuala Bernam is one of my coconut trial areas. You probably would have seen some of my research materials there.... i mean apart from the Pandan...


TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 23 2008, 10:40 PM

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There's money in worm waste

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tue...2189402/Article


PASIR MAS: There's money to be made in worms and one savvy businessman is having the last laugh over those who doubted it.
Zakaria Adam, a 48-year-old entrepreneur from Kota Baru, has hit the jackpot producing vermicompost.

Vermicompost is a natural fertiliser formed by the breakdown of organic matter by a species of earthworm, also known as composting worms.

Zakaria first came across the commercial potential of vermicompost when he was sourcing for business opportunities overseas.

"I went to India, Australia and the Philippines and found that it was a thriving business in those countries. I decided to try it here as it is something new for Malaysians," he said.
Zakaria started Agro Bio-Tani (Kelantan) Sdn Bhd in 2006 with a capital of RM300,000 and has not looked back.

His 1.2ha Vermicompost farm in Kampung Bukit Tuku here, the biggest in the country, has seven workers and is capable of producing 40 tonnes of fertiliser a month.

The father of five said he started the business by importing 100kg of the "African nightcrawler" worms from the three countries he had visited.

To produce the fertiliser, a windrow comprising bedding material is used for the earthworms to live.

Organic matter, including animal dung and padi husks, is then added.

"When I first started the venture, not many people thought that it was a viable idea but it has been growing very well," he said.

So well indeed that today, Zakaria's earthworms have multiplied to 400kg.

His clients now include government departments, farmers' organisations and agricultural companies.

The compost, packed in packets of 2kg to 50kg, is sold at RM3 per kg.

He also sells the worms, which measures about 25cm to 30cm in length, for RM450 to RM500 per kg.

There was also demand from neighbouring countries like Singapore and Brunei.

He regularly conducts courses for those interested in following in his footsteps.


kianwei8
post Mar 23 2008, 11:44 PM

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Produce the fertilizer and pesticide was Big business today,Price was Record high rclxms.gif
rexis
post Mar 24 2008, 11:38 AM

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Indeed fertilizer and pesticide industry is a very rewarding business. Nowadays everything is record high... perhaps except cement due to many mega projects left their future undecided.

Do we really need RM300k to start up a composting business?

Perhaps start big goes big too, but what if for a fairly new field like vermicompost? Its considered a bit risky isn't it?

How popular is vermicompost? Yup i can see some vermicompost in ACE hardware or occasionally in hypermarket, but i would rather pay that price for a organic plant supplement spray.

RM3 per kg is a little too pricy, cost is the main factor that prevented vermicompost from being popular, as for RM3000 per ton, you can get a decent imported inorganic fertilizer with immediate result. Most farmers would opt for the latter choice. And for plant based organic compost, you can get for like half of the price.

Is it a must for vermicompost being so expensive? Why is it so expensive? No way to reduce the production cost?
(update: most likely this is influenced by marketing strategy, price of worm compost in KL can go up to RM5-6)

Vermicompost cost factor, the raw materials(organic waste) are virtually free, the main workers(earthworms) only required some starting cost for the firsts batch, and they will multiply. So the main cost lies on:
- collecting and sorting
- transportation
- containers if you using worm bin

You see, if one can make a RM3 per kg vermicompost and sell to garderner and household, compare to one who can make a RM1 per kg vermicompost and sell to commercial plantation.

Vermiculture - Wikipedia
Compost Worm - JourneytoForever.org
Cheap and easy worm bin

This post has been edited by rexis: Mar 25 2008, 02:35 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 25 2008, 09:35 AM

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Date : 5th April 2008
Venue : NANDO's, Mid Valley Kuala Lumpur
Time : 7.30pm SHARP



Attendees :-

1) ParaOptical
2) rexis
3) kianwei8
4) locke
5) MichealJ. (might)
6) mIssfROGY
7) mgengan


at the moment these are the attendees. anymore to come ?

----------------------------------------

Agenda

a) Intro about yourself
b) About Agriculture
c) About Aquaculture
d) Q&A + Potential


This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Mar 25 2008, 09:53 AM
kianwei8
post Mar 26 2008, 04:32 PM

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Michael J.
post Mar 26 2008, 08:40 PM

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Nice Jatropha
ROTiJOHN
post Mar 27 2008, 01:00 PM

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Hi i would liek to ask does this meeting including talk about vermicompost?would like to attend.
rexis
post Mar 27 2008, 02:51 PM

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Anything related to agriculture can be discussed.

Since I am doing some revision about vermiculture, likely they will be one of the topic.

ParaOptical, we got another guest wink.gif

BTW,
If there is any topics you guys particularly interested and want to know more or discuss, do let me know so i can keep an eye on it while i go thru my agri magazine library.

Currently my proposed topic shall be
- chili farming *
- organic farming
- vermiculture *
- coffee tree
- soft shell crab (if anyone interested)
- sweetcorn *
- choices of short term crop
- Jatropha

Not sure do we able to go thru all of these, btw the * is the thing I am either more interested or more familiar.

Add:

Of course, we will have general topics like:
- potential of agriculture
- aquaculture economics (para, your job)


This post has been edited by rexis: Mar 27 2008, 03:12 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 27 2008, 03:38 PM

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Updated Agenda :-

Agenda

a) Intro about yourself

b) About Agriculture
i. Potential
ii. chili farming
iii. organic farming
iv. vermiculture
v. choices of short term crop
vi. Jatropha

c) About Aquaculture
i. Potential
ii. Economics

d) Q&A + Potential

Tentatively is like this for the moment
ROTiJOHN
post Mar 28 2008, 12:02 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 27 2008, 03:38 PM)
Updated Agenda :-

Agenda

a) Intro about yourself

b) About Agriculture
i. Potential
ii. chili farming
iii. organic farming
iv. vermiculture
v. choices of short term crop
vi. Jatropha

c) About Aquaculture
i. Potential
ii. Economics

d) Q&A + Potential

Tentatively is like this for the moment
*
Hi do we need any fees to join this meeting?sorry i am abit blur.
Chinchillas
post Mar 28 2008, 12:18 AM

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I just want to know where to get tiger worms.

ROTiJOHN
post Mar 28 2008, 01:15 AM

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I had already pm you the detail, try to contact the uncle..CHeers..
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 28 2008, 07:56 AM

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QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Mar 28 2008, 12:02 AM)
Hi do we need any fees to join this meeting?sorry i am abit blur.
*
brother...no need fees. its all volunteer and a meet up of like minds.

just PM me your contact details will do.
thanks

rexis
post Mar 28 2008, 08:45 AM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Mar 28 2008, 07:56 AM)
brother...no need fees. its all volunteer and a meet up of like minds.

just PM me your contact details will do.
thanks
*
Who say no need? Everyone is recommended to prepare fees for a Nando's half chicken biggrin.gif optional thou, I really dont mind you seeing me eating all nite.
ROTiJOHN
post Mar 28 2008, 11:15 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Mar 28 2008, 08:45 AM)
Who say no need? Everyone is recommended to prepare fees for a Nando's half chicken biggrin.gif optional thou, I really dont mind you seeing me eating all nite.
*
Haha i try see that day got any things to do or not..cos i am from Melaka,kinda far..will try to adjust my time..
rexis
post Mar 29 2008, 12:54 PM

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Before this, I would like to ask, HOW should we recognize each other? Here are my suggestions:
- everyone carry one watermelon on head, available from jaya jusco.
- everyone dress red color.
- para/I go book a table under one agreed name like "para", "agri low yat", etc and we just see nandos counters and ask for it. *
- put up notice in front of nando's
- I/mj will bring a pot of plant and everyone just look for any table with a pot of live plant.
- para bring a dead fish and everyone just follow the smell...
- everyone wear a farmer hat(those made of straw) to identify each other
Anymore idea? (the * is the one i suggested)
(no everyone wear a red rose please:D )

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Agriculture: where to go?

Allow me to voice out some brain storming.

You interested to go into agriculture, and being motivated enough to do read up and study into it, but still, you are lack of idea about which part of agriculture you want to go.

Should I plant some front page cover crop from some agri magazine? Should I plant the famous oil palm or other cash crop? Should I take advice from Jabatan Pertanian to plant some new crops like vanilla, Jatropha, Rosella, etc? Or I just stick with something that are very common(high competition) but have steady demand?

-

I have been reading up Agriworld magazine for quite some time, and their front page stories can really bring up people attentions to a particular crop, not too long ago, they featured dragon fruit in front page stories for a few consecutive months, technically bringing enough highlights and ventures into the cactus plant. You can say they cover the stories because it is one famous topic at that time being, but no doubt that they bring even more attention at that crop. Many people venture into pitaya farming, not everyone succeed, some suffered badly with all their cactus having rotten stem disease, while some had their cactus drowned during the great flood. Of course there are successful example, but they do not earn their success by just sitting there and just waiting their crops to grow, but spent a lot in marketing their products, to both consumers as well as planters(in supplying seedlings, trainings etc)

-

Cash crop is the crop that grow for cash, and usually for satisfying commercial customers, long term crop like the top of the range oil palm, rubber tree, black pepper, cocoa, coffee etc, short term cash crop include maize, soy(which is not suitable or rare in Malaysia), cassava, sugar cane etc. The term commercial means in order to achieve efficient production cost, you will need a proper scale. Larger start up cost would involved, about which cash crop to pick, you will need to identify which cash crop is needed at your neighborhood, for eg, if the nearest palm oil mill is some 200 km away, dont choose to plant oil palm, as nobody would take oil palm from you.

-

New crop?! Ah, the opportunity of being a pioneer also means the opportunity to earn the pioneer income, you would have the change to earn a share of a new pie aka new demand, which might result an attractive return. However, there is always a risk, and the risk is you might just planted truckloads of harvest that nobody would take. For example, we can see aloe vera plantations in thailand, but it doesnt mean it is viable in malaysia, unless you can find some factory that will buy it in bulks. Another example, currently the folks from agriculture department has encouraging people to plant rosella, a plant that yield a sour red fruit that can be used to make health products, drinks, etc. But it would be best to identify if there is actually any available market for it first before you invest into a rosella farm. Are there any physical action taken by agri dept to encourage it? Are there any factory taking it? Are they suitable as fresh fruit? Are hypermarkets willing to sell it? Opening up a stall in the local pasar pagi is the last thing you want to do, I believe you can better make use your time to focus on planting higher return crops.

-

The thing that always in demand is fresh vegetable and fruit crop, or any freshly eaten or home cooked crop, like mushroom. There are plenty of choices, leafy vegetables, gourd vines, chili and tomatoes, root vegetables, fruit trees, fruit vines, etc. In vegetable/fruit farming, it would be not advisable to depend on middle man or whole sellers as they will chop you with low price, but in many case, people do depend on them to cash their harvest, in some case, if your farm have enough varieties of vegetables, you can open up your own vege stall or shop to market them. Generally the wholesale price is depends on the availability of supply, during good months with good weather, you will score a beautiful harvest tonnage, but might suffer low price due to over supply, during bad months with poor weather, or disease(like the papaya rotten disease), price will be very attractive, but you get low or even no harvest. The ideal would be planting your crops in a greenhouse, which would require more capital.
(if you plant commercial chili, sweetcorn that you secure contracts/agreement to send your harvest to factory for processing into maggie chili or canned mushroom at a agreed fixed price, should be considered as cash crop)

-

Conclusion - IMHO

I would think that the best scenario is to own a couple 10s of acres of matured cash crop. Thurs you will not need to worry much about where your harvest should go, you just focus on increasing yield and expansion.

But not everyone will be able to own a piece of land or own it long enough for you to plant anything long term. Or not many people have enough cash to set up a farm big enough to be efficient.

I am a small starter, which aimed to be big, my thinking shall be up start in small scale and expand my business. I would opt to rent a land first(or even just go and occupy lands under high voltage cables, nobody using them anyway) and put on whatever grow up fast and easy to market to sustain myself as well as to grow. They would be short term crops. And over time, I would slowly acquire my own piece of land, put on some cash crop, as well as some intercrop hopefully they can help pay for the new land running cost.

I shall counter infertile soil with fertigation, but if the soil is okay i would go for the most basic way, technology comes in when I have capital.

And once the cash crop kicked in after 3-5 years, I would achieve an income that I would never make it by working as employee for 3-5 years, furthermore, a much greater freedom as well as more relaxing lifestyle.

This post has been edited by rexis: Mar 29 2008, 01:02 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 29 2008, 01:34 PM

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we can easily identify people who are coming because people will look and stare around if you are meeting for the 1st time.

no need to reserve. what is important is EVERYONE is PUNCTUAL.
then there shouldnt be a problem.


Michael J.
post Mar 29 2008, 08:16 PM

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Guys, I may not be able to come now.... Some screw-ups happened, and my whole unit is being held responsible to resolve it. Sorry... was really looking forward to it...
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 29 2008, 10:02 PM

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QUOTE(Michael J. @ Mar 29 2008, 08:16 PM)
Guys, I may not be able to come now.... Some screw-ups happened, and my whole unit is being held responsible to resolve it. Sorry... was really looking forward to it...
*
try your best to resolve and see how by thursday ... biggrin.gif
would love to have you at the meeting. biggrin.gif
Michael J.
post Mar 29 2008, 11:05 PM

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Don't seem like it's something that can be resolved anytime soon... Basically involves restructuring the whole thing, reorganizing it, and implementing new protocols. Even if i put in my leave form, it may not be approved.
ROTiJOHN
post Mar 30 2008, 10:57 AM

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Hi there, yesterday evening i visit the uncle farm, and i got took some photo from his farm..anyone interested in that?might post it up if you guys interested..
Michael J.
post Mar 31 2008, 12:31 AM

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Hey, just a little update on my small project.

I've started a fertigation system, but I'm not going to follow MARDI's method by using cocopeat. Instead, I'll be using my own mix of soil. Unfortunately, because of the limited time i have each day, i've yet to fully set up the system. I've planted 5 cultivars of chilies in 2 bag groups, consisting of Tabasco, Hungarian Cherry, Thai Bird's Eye, Lilac Bird's Eye, and Tepin Hybrid. In another ten bags, I'm going to plant 4 cultivars of chilies, and 1 cultivar of cherry tomatoes. The chilies are Ipoh F1, Kulai F1, Indon Kerinting, and Malaysian Bird's Eye.

Today, I managed to acquire some Yitu chili seeds, and some super hot chili seeds, which I feel is Xi'an chili. With those two, I now have a chili germplasm of 10 cultivars from various nations to work with. My current breeding plan is to improve our cultivars, namely the Malaysian Bird's Eye and Kulai/Langkap/Ipoh Reds. What I'm looking for is not just increased productivity, but also early maturity and disease resistance.

By the by, I'm terminating my garlic, potato, onion and mint development ideas. Once again, my gardener killed them all using weedicide, so since the programme keeps getting interrupted, I will stop it. Some good news is that my carrots are doing fine, and the coffee seeds i sown are starting to germinate. It has been almost 2 months since I sowed the last batch, and only now are they germinating.

rexis
post Mar 31 2008, 08:50 AM

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MJ, hybridizing between Kulai and etc etc chili, can we call that kulai too? Or we should call it MJ Kulai?

How do i know if a chili is kulai? Oh yeah, btw, read about a "oil kulai" breed that bred by a chili planter, that guy is agriculturist degree from taiwan. He claimed that this "oil kulai" is much more resistance to disease, but the article never say anything about how to contact that guy or if hes selling seedlings etc. I think the AgriWorld has his contact.

Should buy all the kulai from different farm and sort out the stronger gene. Sound like a time consuming work.

Your coffee seeds germinated? Thats wonderful. My chili seeds all still sleeping in the sowing pot.

Went out to collect more castor seeds, the two castor trees near my house is having a fruiting boom.

QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Mar 30 2008, 10:57 AM)
Hi there, yesterday evening i visit the uncle farm, and i got took some photo from his farm..anyone interested in that?might post it up if you guys interested..
*
Yes yes, please post them! biggrin.gif

This post has been edited by rexis: Mar 31 2008, 08:57 AM
Michael J.
post Mar 31 2008, 09:49 AM

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Haha... Not necessary to plant every single strain of Kulai, but you do need to make a lot of farm visits. And yes, breeding is quite time consuming. There are a few ways to doing breeding, one common way is to use established lines and crossing to your own selected line. Another common way is more tedious, involving selective crossings to wildtype populations.

Well, I wouldn't mind having my hybrid called that... XD.... but essentially the genetic base is still Kulai. BTW, there is one strain of Kulai which is considered the original line. Most others are either hybrids or selectively bred lines.

Oh, Taiwan agriculture sector far more advanced lar.... haha.. Oil Kulai... sounds familiar. I'd like to read that article. But from how you described, this Oil Kulai sounds like just disease tolerant, not resistant. Tolerant means still get casualties, but not as high; Resistant means the disease cannot harm the fella at all. Very rarely can get disease resistance, as pathogens are also living beings and they adapt to changes as well.

Haah... bro, it may take time... But I think if more than a month, is time to chuck it de... From my own observation, fresh seeds from ripe pods germinate within 2 days, while 6-month stored seeds or those from dried pods will take anything between 4-14 days. The old Kulai seeds I had since end of January till now not germinated, and that's only 1 year old lei... I chuck them de...

Hmm... I think I will insist of getting my leave on 5Apr... I really cannot tahan de... I found out that the mess was originally an order given by the boss and was done for a few years de... No problem time all ok; now problem come he act dunno.... And blame my unit some more...

Ps: Forgot to mention that with Kulai at least, there is no real classification available just yet. For instance, unlike say Tabasco, you can't grade the Kulai against the Scoville scale as there has not been much test done on this aspect, as far as I know. Furthermore, just basing on habit and phenotypic structure isn't a good indication of the Kulai, as many hybrids with Kulai as mother do show similar characteristics to the Kulai. The best indication is still gene marker, but that of course is too costly to consider. So the best way is still to get seeds from confirmed bloodlines, where the seed producer can provide proof of bloodline to the buyer.

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Mar 31 2008, 02:03 PM
ROTiJOHN
post Mar 31 2008, 11:43 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Mar 31 2008, 08:50 AM)
MJ, hybridizing between Kulai and etc etc chili, can we call that kulai too? Or we should call it MJ Kulai?

How do i know if a chili is kulai? Oh yeah, btw, read about a "oil kulai" breed that bred by a chili planter, that guy is agriculturist degree from taiwan. He claimed that this "oil kulai" is much more resistance to disease, but the article never say anything about how to contact that guy or if hes selling seedlings etc. I think the AgriWorld has his contact.

Should buy all the kulai from different farm and sort out the stronger gene. Sound like a time consuming work.

Your coffee seeds germinated? Thats wonderful. My chili seeds all still sleeping in the sowing pot.

Went out to collect more castor seeds, the two castor trees near my house is having a fruiting boom.
Yes yes, please post them! biggrin.gif
*
hi there i am waiting my bro transfer me the pics, will update here as soon as i get the pics..btw what can i say is , the worm farm really clean, and wont have any stink smell
rexis
post Mar 31 2008, 05:08 PM

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QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Mar 31 2008, 11:43 AM)
hi there i am waiting my bro transfer me the pics, will update here as soon as i get the pics..btw what can i say is , the worm farm really clean, and wont have any stink smell
*
Btw where is the worm farm? Is it in Kajang? Never realized theres such farm hidden in Kajang!

So ROTiJOHN have you purchased any cacing from the worm guy yet? How was it?
TSParaOpticaL
post Mar 31 2008, 05:24 PM

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so anymore joining for the gathering ?

its this coming weekend.
cant wait for it biggrin.gif

This post has been edited by ParaOpticaL: Mar 31 2008, 08:57 PM
rexis
post Apr 1 2008, 09:35 AM

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MJ, you are teh man, rclxms.gif exactly that nobody can stand in our way, not even boss.

and OMG OMG OMG i got one survival here!!! My 2nd batch chili got one sprout!!!! biggrin.gif

Survival rate... 10% biggrin.gif

So total how many people? 7?

So method of gathering is to look for those folks with that agri shine in their eyes in nando's at the time stated above...
mIssfROGY
post Apr 1 2008, 03:53 PM

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ermmm i can definately make it oredi biggrin.gif
thing is horr.....i dunno nuts.. hope u guys dun mind...oh well
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 1 2008, 05:08 PM

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QUOTE(mIssfROGY @ Apr 1 2008, 03:53 PM)
ermmm i can definately make it oredi biggrin.gif
thing is horr.....i dunno nuts.. hope u guys dun mind...oh well
*
welcome to have you onboard... biggrin.gif
i will be there about 15 mins early...can SMS me...
Michael J.
post Apr 1 2008, 05:20 PM

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Haha... Rexis my brother, good good... in that case you better look after the fella man... 3 months later I'll be waiting to receive some fresh seeds.... XD...! So, do you still want the Tabasco seeds? Word of caution though... the fella is actually a rather huge plant. Didn't read the fine print where it said it grows to almost 5 feet....

missfroggy, don't worry lar... we all also still learning one... Ancora Imparo mar...

Ok then, see you guys this Saturday.
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 1 2008, 05:22 PM

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QUOTE(Michael J. @ Apr 1 2008, 05:20 PM)
Haha... Rexis my brother, good good... in that case you better look after the fella man... 3 months later I'll be waiting to receive some fresh seeds.... XD...! So, do you still want the Tabasco seeds? Word of caution though... the fella is actually a rather huge plant. Didn't read the fine print where it said it grows to almost 5 feet....

missfroggy, don't worry lar... we all also still learning one... Ancora Imparo mar...

Ok then, see you guys this Saturday.
*
bro am i reading this right ?

YOU are COMING ?
Michael J.
post Apr 1 2008, 07:16 PM

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yep i am.... why the expression lar? o.O?
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 1 2008, 11:41 PM

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Hi here is the pic i promise to post up last few days.
user posted image
The earthworm farm

user posted image
The container with cow poo,it don have smell at all..very clean

user posted image
Earthworm condo, use to produce the earthworm here

user posted image
The vermicompost pool..
rexis
post Apr 2 2008, 08:35 AM

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QUOTE(Michael J. @ Apr 1 2008, 07:16 PM)
yep i am.... why the expression lar? o.O?
*
Consider it as a overexcited reaction. Sort of like a fella on 2 bag of 3in1 434 monalisa coffee in one cup.

Chewing thru some nice wormy pic... laterz

Replying ROTiJOHN post so everyone get to see the pic here.

QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Apr 1 2008, 11:41 PM)
Hi here is the pic i promise to post up last few days.
user posted image
The earthworm farm

user posted image
The container with cow poo,it don have smell at all..very clean

user posted image
Earthworm condo, use to produce the earthworm here

user posted image
The vermicompost pool..
*
It looks like Zaman the worm captain is pretty well established there!

I am thinking about renting a cheap property(below 400) to rear earthworm with large plastic containers. Para, my figures earlier might be over exaggerated, 100kg worm for a room might be too much, but how about rearing 200kg of worm in a small apartment, i am sure it is not too packed isnt it. So assume you produce 1/3 of the biomass weight worth of castings:

you would collect...
2000kg worm casting, give 500 utility 400 rental, you got over 1k profit if you sell them at only RM1 per kg. Add a small packaging facility(plastic bag and the sealing heater), and make 1kg package and sell for RM2 per pak.. and that is without sunshine, part time(just grin food scrap and feed), weekend for packing and harvesting.

Seriously, is it really that good?
(btw, got pic showing spaghetti of worms ah?)

This post has been edited by rexis: Apr 2 2008, 10:00 AM
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 2 2008, 09:15 AM

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Rexis : bring it up on saturday... biggrin.gif

btw this saturday i will be there bit early as there is an expo there at Mid-Valley
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 2 2008, 12:43 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Apr 2 2008, 08:35 AM)
Consider it as a overexcited reaction. Sort of like a fella on 2 bag of 3in1 434 monalisa coffee in one cup.

Chewing thru some nice wormy pic... laterz

Replying ROTiJOHN post so everyone get to see the pic here.
It looks like Zaman the worm captain is pretty well established there!

I am thinking about renting a cheap property(below 400) to rear earthworm with large plastic containers. Para, my figures earlier might be over exaggerated, 100kg worm for a room might be too much, but how about rearing 200kg of worm in a small apartment, i am sure it is not too packed isnt it. So assume you produce 1/3 of the biomass weight worth of castings:

you would collect...
2000kg worm casting, give 500 utility 400 rental, you got over 1k profit if you sell them at only RM1 per kg. Add a small packaging facility(plastic bag and the sealing heater), and make 1kg package and sell for RM2 per pak.. and that is without sunshine, part time(just grin food scrap and feed), weekend for packing and harvesting.

Seriously, is it really that good?
(btw, got pic showing spaghetti of worms ah?)
*
Alamak the worms pic need to wait for my mom's camera.Btw i got another's friend's dad involve in this business..i going visit his farm in few weeks later, he stay in Kluang..kakaka..
Michael J.
post Apr 2 2008, 02:38 PM

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mmm.... interesting... looks like a viable venture, but how good is the market lei? I know castings are used in high value ornamentals as potting media (because "soils" cannot be exported; nothing said about earthworm poop). Frankly speaking, I have not seen earthworm castings being sold on an as-is basis lor.... only one company that is well know is Vermicast, yet they too have limited local volume. Most goes for organic crop and ornamentals.

It'd be nice to explore this avenue.
wheimeng
post Apr 2 2008, 02:42 PM

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can i join for the meeting? blush.gif

i'm totally a noob but i want to learn more..

Michael J.
post Apr 2 2008, 03:19 PM

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Mmm... I feel that vermicompost is more suitable for leaf production lei... I just cross-checked some of our initial analysis... high Nitrogen content wor.... Meaning good for leafy vegetables, ornamentals and such. Now it all makes sense, because I found vermicompost being used for cacti and terrestrial orchids.
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 2 2008, 03:28 PM

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QUOTE(wheimeng @ Apr 2 2008, 02:42 PM)
can i join for the meeting?  blush.gif

i'm totally a noob but i want to learn more..
*
anyone and everyone is welcomed to join.

please reply to my PM. thanks
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 2 2008, 06:54 PM

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Captain zaman said vermicompost can be use in any plant. Btw my brother had try it on his oil palm tree, will give some review next few days..cheers.
rexis
post Apr 3 2008, 08:57 AM

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Leaf production or nursery.

ROTiJOHN is visiting all the vermi farm everywhere ler, time for our agri club to organize some farm visit?

Kluang... a bit far.

---

Vermiculture produces worm casting and worm, too bad we cant charge people for processing waste.

This post has been edited by rexis: Apr 3 2008, 09:53 AM
Michael J.
post Apr 3 2008, 10:05 AM

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I didn't say vermicompost cannot be used for plants in general, or can be used only for certain plants per se; all I said was that it is more suitable for leafy plants due to the high nitrogen content. Nitrogen influences leaf/flower production, whereas potassium influences fruit formation. So for nursery plants, since you want the plants to have green and healthy leaves and beautiful flowers, then the high nitrogen fertilizer will be more suitable. Same goes for leafy vegetables like cabbage etc. But if you want good fruit set and better fruit qualities, say for cucumbers or chilies, then you need a fertilizer that has higher potassium content. I don't know about his fertilizer nutrient content, but the one we've analyzed has a ratio of 8:1 for nitrogen and potassium. That's pretty bad if used for fruit setting; the normal ratio is 8:5. Since the sample we have is cow manure based, just the same as Capt. Zaman's, I would imagine the ratio wouldn't run too far off.
Gilbert5107
post Apr 3 2008, 01:42 PM

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i really dunno have this tread. thumbup.gif
can learn alot things in here.
rexis
post Apr 3 2008, 02:09 PM

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Perhaps we should look into controlling the vermi diet for the purpose of getting a more well balanced worm compost nutrient.

Like feeding them bone meal for P, if for K... whats is for K?

Or perhaps simply mix them into the vermicompost.

Or just use vermicompost as soil improvement
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post Apr 3 2008, 02:40 PM

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Mmm... Then the vermicompost will become a fortified fertilizer, and not organic fertilizer anymore.

Bro, you've brought up a very good thought: Control the diet of the worms. I agree with you on this point fully. Hmm... Nitrogen will be available throught the breakdown of the manure. Animal bone meal (fowl/mammalian) should add phosphorus, but do note that phosphorus in bone meal can be easily converted to excitable phosphoregen (gasous phosphor) - hence why sometimes you see green glowing lights at graveyards. Potassium is a big problem now.... rock phosphate had always been a major source of potassium. Guano is next important source. Other than that, bunch ash lor.... or you may like to use fish meal instead.


Added on April 3, 2008, 2:43 pmWell, if we want to add worm castings to soil, might as well we just breed the worms and add THEM directly to the soil. Unless if the original soil condition is not suitable at all for worms to live in lar.. then no choice.

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Apr 3 2008, 02:43 PM
mIssfROGY
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hmmm..when we arrive what do we do ark? Got table reserved or sit at some table 1st? Sorry didnt follow this thread closely. Para Para....need your Hp biggrin.gif Shd we all wear the same colour (green for agri) ?? biggrin.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 3 2008, 05:24 PM

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QUOTE(mIssfROGY @ Apr 3 2008, 03:44 PM)
hmmm..when we arrive what do we do ark? Got table reserved or sit at some table 1st? Sorry didnt follow this thread closely. Para Para....need your Hp biggrin.gif Shd we all wear the same colour (green for agri) ?? biggrin.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif
*
when reach look around and you will see us...haha

no table reserved but if i reach early i will go get a table for 10

i sms you my no.

any colour shirt can... biggrin.gif
rexis
post Apr 3 2008, 05:35 PM

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QUOTE(mIssfROGY @ Apr 3 2008, 03:44 PM)
hmmm..when we arrive what do we do ark? Got table reserved or sit at some table 1st? Sorry didnt follow this thread closely. Para Para....need your Hp biggrin.gif Shd we all wear the same colour (green for agri) ?? biggrin.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif
*
Froggy color ehh... later go nando see everyone wear green then how.

Must use something unique, like everyone put a frog on head.

Para, should really figure something out la, I suggest put a notice outside, sth like

Agri Gathering --> Table ##

and inform the counter if anyone come ask about Agri Gathering, they will point them to para.

----

Anyhow just in case, I will bring lots of AgriWorld Magazine and lay them out on table. Should you notice any table with lots(I will make sure its visible from far) of magazine cover with colorful fruits, crops, flowers, etc, that should be the one.
mIssfROGY
post Apr 3 2008, 06:34 PM

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OHhh okies...find for a table with lotsa mags biggrin.gif
Para u got my hp no ark? Dunno isit the same no i gave u last time? Coz hor...i lost my old phone...forgot if i gave u my new or old no tongue.gif Maybe PM me better.

ehz..am i the only gal ark?? Gulp! Btw...i got 1 fella joining smile.gif
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 3 2008, 07:30 PM

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woot all brothers, i think i cant make it to mid valley edi, got things do..alamak..if you guys coming down melaka do let me know ok?we can discuss vermicompost also..cheers..
kianwei8
post Apr 3 2008, 08:40 PM

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haha, so what language we wil use? mandarin?manglish?dialect?

cause maybe bring another fres go

This post has been edited by kianwei8: Apr 3 2008, 09:32 PM
Michael J.
post Apr 3 2008, 10:04 PM

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Haaah... I may also be bringing a property expert along with me. May give some good ideas and advice about land for agri.
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 3 2008, 11:16 PM

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hahaha, you guys discuss with wat language?chinese?i am not good in english tho
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 4 2008, 08:33 AM

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hopefully we will discuss in English.

as for the seat no worries.

i will be there early like 7.00 - 7.15pm then i will go get a table for 10
i will sms those attending when i get the seat.

so no worries
rexis
post Apr 4 2008, 09:03 AM

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Basically english with a bit of cantonese finishing is the primary language laugh.gif

Oooo... property expert, we really need this kind of expertise, cant simply occupy land mah.

I have a friend with me too, hes just another plain office worker like myself with an outgoing will tongue.gif


Added on April 4, 2008, 10:53 am
QUOTE(Michael J. @ Apr 2 2008, 02:38 PM)
mmm.... interesting... looks like a viable venture, but how good is the market lei? I know castings are used in high value ornamentals as potting media (because "soils" cannot be exported; nothing said about earthworm poop). Frankly speaking, I have not seen earthworm castings being sold on an as-is basis lor.... only one company that is well know is Vermicast, yet they too have limited local volume. Most goes for organic crop and ornamentals.

It'd be nice to explore this avenue.
*
While "soils" cannot be exported, "sand" can be exported to singapore for them to make more land? Or they imported from somewhere else?

Not too sure about exporting, but i am pretty sure that we can Import "dungs" laugh.gif , theres a local mushroom planter(mat salleh come to invest in Malaysia) who importing tons of horse manure monthly from Holland to plant button mushroom.

Worm casting sure need more scientific explore as well rather then all those DIY at home product. Currently the worm casting market very home grown, nearly no technology involved.

QUOTE(Michael J. @ Apr 3 2008, 02:40 PM)
Mmm... Then the vermicompost will become a fortified fertilizer, and not organic fertilizer anymore.

Bro, you've brought up a very good thought: Control the diet of the worms. I agree with you on this point fully. Hmm... Nitrogen will be available throught the breakdown of the manure. Animal bone meal (fowl/mammalian) should add phosphorus, but do note that phosphorus in bone meal can be easily converted to excitable phosphoregen (gasous phosphor) - hence why sometimes you see green glowing lights at graveyards. Potassium is a big problem now.... rock phosphate had always been a major source of potassium. Guano is next important source. Other than that, bunch ash lor.... or you may like to use fish meal instead.


Added on April 3, 2008, 2:43 pmWell, if we want to add worm castings to soil, might as well we just breed the worms and add THEM directly to the soil. Unless if the original soil condition is not suitable at all for worms to live in lar.. then no choice.
*
So your worm condo will have night lightings, haha.

Ooo, basically vermiculture enable you to have both worm and worm casting, both are marketable. Just like you can buy compost as well as compost bacteria.

Apply worm compost you get faster effect, apply worms... they need time to settle down and might all die off to produce some quick and expensive N biggrin.gif

(BTW, wahh para, 7-7.15pm u also consider urself early ahh, the appointment is 7pm biggrin.gif )

This post has been edited by rexis: Apr 4 2008, 01:58 PM
Michael J.
post Apr 4 2008, 01:58 PM

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Hey all.... i'm afraid I can't make it after all... An emergency has arisen and I've to rush home to Sepang... Seems like things just keep crashing around me.
mgengan
post Apr 4 2008, 02:11 PM

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looking forward to meeting you guys.
SUSvkeong
post Apr 4 2008, 02:27 PM

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Guys I am interested in the earthworm breeding mentioned by Rexis

Anywhere I can get hold of more information? Thanks!

** OK rexis gave me the link, thanks!!

This post has been edited by vkeong: Apr 4 2008, 02:31 PM
rexis
post Apr 4 2008, 02:37 PM

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Welcome vkeong.

Hey guys, look at how informative our new friend is:

Kopi Luwak LYN Post

It is the most expensive coffee in the world, CSI Las Vegas mentioned in(the killer drink this rare kopi), the 2nd most expensive is Blue Mountain coffee.

And according to MJ, we got parrot coffee too, work like kopi luwak, but just thru parrot only laugh.gif

Unbelievable? Believe it.

(Thanks for the "raw" kopi luwak pic thumbup.gif )

This post has been edited by rexis: Apr 4 2008, 02:39 PM
SUSvkeong
post Apr 4 2008, 02:42 PM

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Heh thanks for the welcome.. After looking at the information so far, I am really interested to start something now.. the cost is low and so are the requirements..

Now I only need to find a place to do it, I doubt my housemate will let me do rear worms in the apartment lol
rexis
post Apr 4 2008, 02:46 PM

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QUOTE(vkeong @ Apr 4 2008, 02:42 PM)
Heh thanks for the welcome.. After looking at the information so far, I am really interested to start something now.. the cost is low and so are the requirements..

Now I only need to find a place to do it, I doubt my housemate will let me do rear worms in the apartment lol
*
LMAO, i doubt people will rent a room to me once they find out their "housemates" are actually a gang of worms.

Rear it as pet, the expand. Sound easy, but unproven market. Potential from zero to space.
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 4 2008, 06:44 PM

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rexis you know anyone selling land in Melaka?might as well wan to get myself a land..

This post has been edited by ROTiJOHN: Apr 4 2008, 06:45 PM
Dyong
post Apr 4 2008, 06:50 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Apr 4 2008, 02:37 PM)
Welcome vkeong.

Hey guys, look at how informative our new friend is:

Kopi Luwak LYN Post

It is the most expensive coffee in the world, CSI Las Vegas mentioned in(the killer drink this rare kopi), the 2nd most expensive is Blue Mountain coffee.

And according to MJ, we got parrot coffee too, work like kopi luwak, but just thru parrot only  laugh.gif

Unbelievable? Believe it.

(Thanks for the "raw" kopi luwak pic thumbup.gif )
*
I heard about the premium coffee.
Yet to have a chance to lay my hands and sniff them... hohoho.

Keep the thread alive, I do believe there's a future in agriculture.
Both economically and socially.
mIssfROGY
post Apr 4 2008, 09:48 PM

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QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Apr 4 2008, 06:44 PM)
rexis you know anyone selling land in Melaka?might as well wan to get myself a land..
*
Hmmm melaka land quite expensive one woh. hmm.gif
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 4 2008, 11:26 PM

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QUOTE(mIssfROGY @ Apr 4 2008, 09:48 PM)
Hmmm melaka land quite expensive one woh.  hmm.gif
*
yeah, but still have to consider the land here as i am melakan haha
mIssfROGY
post Apr 5 2008, 01:25 AM

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QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Apr 4 2008, 11:26 PM)
yeah, but still have to consider the land here as i am melakan haha
*
sama sama rclxms.gif
I am from PUlau Gadung....ermm..think proly the only kampung with paddy field left in melaka. U leh?
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 5 2008, 02:00 AM

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QUOTE(mIssfROGY @ Apr 5 2008, 01:25 AM)
sama sama  rclxms.gif
I am from PUlau Gadung....ermm..think proly the only kampung with paddy field left in melaka. U leh?
*
alamak where is pulau gadung edi?I stay in Alor gajah, but currently studying in MMU bukit beruang lo..BTW I LOVE MELAKA wahahaha...
kianwei8
post Apr 6 2008, 12:00 AM

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HAha, Great Meeting! rclxms.gif


rexis-no time read u agroworld magazine, must brw me next time,^^

Para-u r amazing ,The Secret-law of attraction, Always Positive thinking ^^,

mIssfROGY - wow, u hv a website selling thing ,do e-commerce, Young Entrepreneur ^^

Agriculture was Big Business thumbup.gif

if want stable income,go to oil palm n rubber
if want high return , take risk&niche

who want my msn, may Pm me, we chat in msn

This post has been edited by kianwei8: Apr 6 2008, 11:07 AM
mIssfROGY
post Apr 6 2008, 12:27 PM

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QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Apr 5 2008, 02:00 AM)
alamak where is pulau gadung edi?I stay in Alor gajah, but currently studying in MMU bukit beruang lo..BTW I LOVE MELAKA wahahaha...
*
Ahh...its near tengkera. U studying in MMU ark? notice this uncle always makes names at your uni or not?


Added on April 6, 2008, 12:32 pm
QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Apr 6 2008, 12:00 AM)
HAha, Great Meeting!  rclxms.gif

mIssfROGY - wow, u hv a website selling thing ,do e-commerce, Young Entrepreneur ^^

*
HAhahah...just starting only...still learning.
Yeaps great meeting..thanks everybody for enlighting me biggrin.gif I am amazed icon_rolleyes.gif
Anyway...kianwei yaya....pm me your msn. Need some info from u.... notworthy.gif

This post has been edited by mIssfROGY: Apr 6 2008, 12:32 PM
kianwei8
post Apr 6 2008, 01:11 PM

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and PAra, u look like Small size Penang CM, Lim Guan Eng, rclxms.gif
haha,go Penang open Pig farm $$$
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 6 2008, 01:34 PM

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QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Apr 6 2008, 01:11 PM)
and PAra, u look like Small size Penang CM, Lim Guan Eng,  rclxms.gif
haha,go Penang open Pig farm $$$
*
lolx...no la. LGE = CM of Penang.

haha

----------------------------------

thanks for those who came :-

a) kianwei8
b) mgengan
c) locke
d) missfrogy
e) fung (missfrogy's fren)
f) rexis
g) wheimeng

------------------------------------

rexis : when you get back online do give us a summary of what you discussed yesterday.
Michael J.
post Apr 6 2008, 05:09 PM

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Wa.... sounds like it was a fantastic... Too bad I couldn't make it at the last minute.. *Sobs*

Hey rexis, please do give the summary lei.. Eager to know what was discussed.
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 6 2008, 05:17 PM

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Hi there how is the meeting?do some summary lai..haha..
wheimeng
post Apr 6 2008, 05:33 PM

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i think kianwei is from upm was it?
kianwei8
post Apr 6 2008, 05:43 PM

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wheimeng- wow, outsourcing Company, Great!!, rclxms.gif

yes, i am from UPM,wil grad 24april,how u biz? we may discuss In msn

Curious drool.gif so many IT Expert interest to Agri?

oh ya, who is the land expert?absent?
Michael J.
post Apr 6 2008, 06:05 PM

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hmm? Oh he was supposed to come with me. But last minute i couldn't make it. He also terpaksa change programme lor... sorry sorry..
wheimeng
post Apr 6 2008, 06:06 PM

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ahaha you can add me on uu247@hotmail.com.

im not exactly doing outsourcing but doable la if required.
kianwei8
post Apr 6 2008, 06:27 PM

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Attached Image

Welcome to New Zealand!!

cow farm in UPM, rexis , u time to collect black gold rclxm9.gif

This post has been edited by kianwei8: Apr 6 2008, 06:29 PM
xavi5567
post Apr 6 2008, 10:05 PM

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QUOTE(milky @ Feb 5 2007, 09:17 PM)
looks like you are all set especially with all the site plans and stuff...
KUTGW
*
plan oil palm la.. get ur revenue bac in 6 month, 1 hectare u will have 100 tree, 12 acre? u count for ur self.
or the nex big thing is plant karas tree... --> gaharu. ever heard of it? wood which is use to make perfume --. essential oil. big money man, plus seed is provide by forestry department.


Added on April 6, 2008, 10:10 pmu wan to go agriculture--. think of duck raising, u dont go for the duck meat bt u go for its eggs. after 7 month each duck will produce an egg for u everyday. duckegg is expensive compare to chicken egg plus it is healthier than chicken egg. each egg can sell for rm0.5 cent if u have 1000 duck --. u get 500 per day . 1 month 15000 lor.. quite good eh

This post has been edited by xavi5567: Apr 6 2008, 10:10 PM
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 6 2008, 10:16 PM

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anyone got Melaka cow farm contact number?would like to contact them .
rexis
post Apr 7 2008, 09:45 AM

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hello hello saudara dan saudari... cough cough

I am back to office and seeing so many passion flooding around this thread, certainly my mind is opened wider as a result of the gathering, I feel like there is unlimited issue to discuss about, the only constrain is time and nando's(they're closing shop). And I feel like never like before the feeling of confidence in agriculture, no doubt, agriculture is business, but you have to think big to do big business for sure.

We hv discussed much during the gathering, but this is limited to the agriculture side, Para have the aquaculture side.

Topics we discussed into is
- potential returns of agriculture(chili as example, a bit exaggerated, will post a more realistic example)
- possible risks in farming
- add value to agri product - processing
- why organic farming?
- imported agri products vs local
- the importance of niche market

Special presentation by KW about
- how does Jatropha fruit looks like biggrin.gif
- algae oil(as future energy crop)
- food supply and demand(world/china)

QnA
- What should we do if a farm struck by disease? Is that mean the farm gone forever? (required further discussion)

I am sure I have missed out something, all the main speakers please add in.

Lets quote some words from Para laugh.gif

QUOTE
Malaysia has a future.

thumbup.gif
(edit add: And its because of us!)

This post has been edited by rexis: Apr 7 2008, 09:46 AM
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 7 2008, 10:57 AM

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Hello ppl,

thank you for taking your time to come and share experience and knowledge.

my summary of the Aquaculture side

- the potentials of aquaculture (Malaysia has a vast market potential with China and Hong Kong the ultimate aim)

- Malaysia's potential (enormous as Vietnam is catching up but we can still compete)

- how to deal with govt officials (bug n pester them)

- where to get info? (for localised info best bet is the Agriculture Ministry in Putrajaya and also the point above)

- concept of aquaculture

- how i am doing aquaculture environmentally? (no waste)

- financial outlay

- how to start small and grow slowly (mgengan would understand more i hope)


--------------------------

My quotes :-

a) Food definitely has a future

b) Malaysia is just in the infant stage as compared to our SEA counter parts

c) In Japan 2 ppl can manage a 5 ac farm with automation which is the future in Malaysia

d) We must strive to be hand-ons in the 1st few years then we can start to manage

e) Ask ask ask ask ask ask questions. After that ACT on them

f) A C T I O N
kianwei8
post Apr 7 2008, 05:48 PM

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My lec study master during 1983 at US, he's coursemate 60somthing women,a old couple add v fully automated farm manage 800 cows at farm^^
rexis
post Apr 7 2008, 06:04 PM

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QUOTE(xavi5567 @ Apr 6 2008, 10:05 PM)
plan oil palm la.. get ur revenue bac in 6 month, 1 hectare u will have 100 tree, 12 acre? u count for ur self.
or the nex big thing is plant karas tree... --> gaharu. ever heard of it? wood which is use to make perfume --. essential oil. big money man, plus seed is provide by forestry department.


Added on April 6, 2008, 10:10 pmu wan to go agriculture--. think of duck raising, u dont go for the duck meat bt u go for its eggs. after 7 month each duck will produce an egg for u everyday. duckegg is expensive compare to chicken egg plus it is healthier than chicken egg. each egg can sell for rm0.5 cent if u have 1000 duck --. u get 500 per day . 1 month 15000 lor.. quite good eh
*
Yes, rearing egg duck is profitable, especially when u process them into salted duck egg, longer shelf life, high price. And there is demand.

There is an issue of the AgriWorld talk about a guy who rear ducks.

----

1 hectare hv 100 trees, 12 acres = 4.8 hectare, so 480 trees.

But again, planting this kind of crop is not going to be easy for fresh starter, you have to wait for at least 5 years for the tree to kick in peak production. How u survive in that 5 years?


Added on April 7, 2008, 6:27 pm
Farm disease and sickness control

------

Behind the beautiful halo of agriculture, the whooping estimated return figures, the beautiful plants and handsome truck lots of harvest, there is always the dark side, like my dad say, UK sound great, but when he went to London, he feel like crying.

So one of the devil that is eating up your nett profit is plant disease and sickness. Note that I do not mean pest here - at least you can see those nasty caterpillars, fruit flies and mites eating up your precious harvest and you can have some clue on what is causing your loss and act accordingly. Sometimes, your plant is showing really strange behavior, nothing on it but they just doesn't looks healthy, or fruit dropping, or some part just rotten, or the whole thing just died mysteriously.

There is a few thing you should check when you facing similar issue, the soil, the water, the weather, the nutrient and the plant itself as well as study the history of your land and the surrounding.

the first one is soil:
have you did any lab test on your soil(which should be done BEFORE you plant anything)? Were your plants have sufficient nutrient? Is the soil suitable? Is the pH level correct?

water:
where did you got your water from? Is it from a steam passing thru some other farm/facility? Or is it ground water?

the weather:
Is the crop burnt by sunlight? Is any shade netting required? Is it raining season? Is there any flooding or water logging?

the nutrient:
Are you using the correct fertilizer? For organic fertilizer, are your fertilizer properly fermented? Could your organic fertilizer carrying disease? Did you supplement the correct micronutrient? Or did you over fertilized your crop?

the plant:
Get samples of sick plants and send for lab test, or show to fertilizer/seed supplier, they will have a clue. Is the plant sick due to environment? Or is it a kind of virus/fungus?

The land:
What is the land being used for previously? Why the previous owner stop his business? Is it a virgin land? Is there any farm nearby that can transfer the disease?

The important thing to work out a farm is you must monitor your farm properly, dont let your worker do all your job. Whenever you spotted anything suspicious, act immediately. Like instantly dig out the entire plant and burn it, or immediately consult a professional regarding your findings.

Also, do not over stress your land. Let it rest after a cycle. As in nature, every life form suppress each other to reach a perfect balance. If we want to balance things up, the land need to take a break. Also, do crop rotation, switch with different crop. For example, if a land has planted sweetcorn for too long, a lot of pest and disease that adapted to attack sweetcorn will start to settle down in that land. If we switch to say, cassava, sweetcorn pest will die due to lack of food.

Farming is not as easy as just lay the seeds and wait.

The above is a very general on where to look into whenever your farm is stuck by a sickness and you losing harvest. There are details which I yet to have time to look into. I am not going to go into anatomy of the virus etc etc, those you have to go and read agri text book.

This post has been edited by rexis: Apr 7 2008, 06:38 PM
Chinchillas
post Apr 8 2008, 08:09 PM

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Hm... if we want to start small on vermicompost, where can we start from(Of cause getting the worms!)? I mean where to sell our source of final product fertiliser.

If using RM300,000.00 (IF I HAVE!) i would definately go big like this, but If we can start from RM300.00, that is a very good price for beginner to start with.

I think 1kg worms can be multiply very fast once your worm is settle and love the enviroment you create for them.

Any where to join venture of vermicompost business?
eddychstu
post Apr 8 2008, 08:13 PM

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hi, i myself is quite interested in Agriculture & Aquaculture, will keep an eye on this thread and hopefully there is a chance to meet up in the future. smile.gif
kianwei8
post Apr 8 2008, 08:40 PM

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MODERN FARMING

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rexis
post Apr 9 2008, 11:48 AM

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KW, i think theres a local banana plantation that use light aeroplane to spray pesticide.

QUOTE(eddychstu @ Apr 8 2008, 08:13 PM)
hi, i myself is quite interested in Agriculture & Aquaculture, will keep an eye on this thread and hopefully there is a chance to meet up in the future. smile.gif
*
Welcome on board, hopefully you find the informations useful. Feel free to shooting question as there will be sifu here willing to give comments.

QUOTE(Chinchillas @ Apr 8 2008, 08:09 PM)
Hm... if we want to start small on vermicompost, where can we start from(Of cause getting the worms!)? I mean where to sell our source of final product fertiliser.

If using RM300,000.00 (IF I HAVE!) i would definately go big like this, but If we can start from RM300.00, that is a very good price for beginner to start with.

I think 1kg worms can be multiply very fast once your worm is settle and love the enviroment you create for them.

Any where to join venture of vermicompost business?
*
If I have RM300,000 then seriously there will be lots more better choice available. I would go into vegetable production, with RM300k i can utilize biotech and greenhouse and fertigation and produce high quality products.

Anyhow, vermiculture has yet to set firm in local market. But the potential is there, the next thing is up to how you establish it.

When one doing a business, you always need to do marketing for your own business, same with farming, or vermiculture. I mean, how do you sell your products? In the case, vermicompost as organic fertilizer. First you identify your customers, then, you approach them and make them aware of your product, then, close sales. It is a marketing issue here.

So who would need vermicompost here? Firstly, home gardeners, we have plenty of people around here that owns a garden, and they willing to spend on something that make their garden healthy. Then, it is the organic farmers, they will usually require larger supply compare to normal gardener. Basically the market pie of fertilizer is there, it is up to you to grab a slice from it.

-

And so, you would like to start small on vermiculture, there is very simple ways to start from:

- learn about vermiculture
- make worm bins
- buy worms
- grow your worms
- expand and harvest
- market your harvest

Where do you learn about vermiculture? To success, you have to master your skill, and properly done your homework. Internet has tons of vermiculture resources and there are a community of vermiculture over the internet, they are more then willing to share what they know. Lately, I just find out that there are local vermiculture operators that organize training course for vermiculture.

How much do we need to make worm bins? You can do it as cheap as less then RM30 rather then RM300k. Very very easy, get a plastic container(Jaya Jusco sell less then RM15 for a big one, Carefour might goes lower, you can even use those cheap plastic dustbin) and fill it with water soaked shredded old newspaper(almost cost nothing). Drill ventilation holes all over the lid. Then the bin is ready to go and just wait for you to put in the worms!

You can get your first batch of worms from a local vermiculture farm, usually people find this challenging a few years back because nobody is doing vermiculture locally in Malaysia, but now, there is a few supplier available and it is possible to purchase compost worm directly, it goes like RM300-400 per kg of fresh and lively earthworms. OR, just dig some garden worm and try them out, this is usually recommended by official.

About how to grow your worms, you can try googling around the internet, I am sure there is plenty of guidelines about how and what you should or should not feed your earthworms, and how to keep them happy and healthy. Seriously, from internet, you can find much much more info about breeding earthworm then growing oil palm. Basically you do not need to spend much in feeding your earthworm, as they eat organic waaste.

After your worms settle down, and your worm colony growing, and you have meaningful scale(like you can produce 100 package of compost monthly), its time for you to harvest and expand. Harvest and bag your compost, and this will be your product, get more worm bin ready so that you can accommodate more worms and therefore your future harvest will increase.

Market your harvest! Make money from it. You can do direct selling to your neighbour, or have a visit on the local grocery shop see if they interested to put it in their shop, for the commercial prospect like farmers or even plantations, you need to have higher scale and volume(like 1 tons per week production).

-

This is just a plain guidelines, for the details, each of them can expand into a full article.
(i got two supplier for earthworm if u interested, u can PM me, I want to buy, but not 1kg tat much, perhaps we can share. But not now, I yet to hv time to establish things)


Chinchillas
post Apr 9 2008, 03:57 PM

Don't Forget To Eat Hay!
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From: Kuala Lumpur


QUOTE(rexis @ Apr 9 2008, 11:48 AM)
KW, i think theres a local banana plantation that use light aeroplane to spray pesticide.
Welcome on board, hopefully you find the informations useful. Feel free to shooting question as there will be sifu here willing to give comments.
If I have RM300,000 then seriously there will be lots more better choice available. I would go into vegetable production, with RM300k i can utilize biotech and greenhouse and fertigation and produce high quality products.

Anyhow, vermiculture has yet to set firm in local market. But the potential is there, the next thing is up to how you establish it.

When one doing a business, you always need to do marketing for your own business, same with farming, or vermiculture. I mean, how do you sell your products? In the case, vermicompost as organic fertilizer. First you identify your customers, then, you approach them and make them aware of your product, then, close sales. It is a marketing issue here.

So who would need vermicompost here? Firstly, home gardeners, we have plenty of people around here that owns a garden, and they willing to spend on something that make their garden healthy. Then, it is the organic farmers, they will usually require larger supply compare to normal gardener. Basically the market pie of fertilizer is there, it is up to you to grab a slice from it.

-

And so, you would like to start small on vermiculture, there is very simple ways to start from:

- learn about vermiculture
- make worm bins
- buy worms
- grow your worms
- expand and harvest
- market your harvest

Where do you learn about vermiculture? To success, you have to master your skill, and properly done your homework. Internet has tons of vermiculture resources and there are a community of vermiculture over the internet, they are more then willing to share what they know. Lately, I just find out that there are local vermiculture operators that organize training course for vermiculture.

How much do we need to make worm bins? You can do it as cheap as less then RM30 rather then RM300k. Very very easy, get a plastic container(Jaya Jusco sell less then RM15 for a big one, Carefour might goes lower, you can even use those cheap plastic dustbin) and fill it with water soaked shredded old newspaper(almost cost nothing). Drill ventilation holes all over the lid. Then the bin is ready to go and just wait for you to put in the worms!

You can get your first batch of worms from a local vermiculture farm, usually people find this challenging a few years back because nobody is doing vermiculture locally in Malaysia, but now, there is a few supplier available and it is possible to purchase compost worm directly, it goes like RM300-400 per kg of fresh and lively earthworms. OR, just dig some garden worm and try them out, this is usually recommended by official.

About how to grow your worms, you can try googling around the internet, I am sure there is plenty of guidelines about how and what you should or should not feed your earthworms, and how to keep them happy and healthy. Seriously, from internet, you can find much much more info about breeding earthworm then growing oil palm. Basically you do not need to spend much in feeding your earthworm, as they eat organic waaste.

After your worms settle down, and your worm colony growing, and you have meaningful scale(like you can produce 100 package of compost monthly), its time for you to harvest and expand. Harvest and bag your compost, and this will be your product, get more worm bin ready so that you can accommodate more worms and therefore your future harvest will increase.

Market your harvest! Make money from it. You can do direct selling to your neighbour,  or have a visit on the local grocery shop see if they interested to put it in their shop, for the commercial prospect like farmers or even plantations, you need to have higher scale and volume(like 1 tons per week production).

-

This is just a plain guidelines, for the details, each of them can expand into a full article.
(i got two supplier for earthworm if u interested, u can PM me, I want to buy, but not 1kg tat much, perhaps we can share. But not now, I yet to hv time to establish things)
*
Thanks for your very valueable sharing.

Let me plan on the where to place my worm bin and the worms should live for coming few yrs. I am organic gardener for passed 8yrs, I am making my own compost, growing vegetables in organic form, I think I should hv study enough about vermicompost for the passed 8 yrs. The only thing I not sure about is the fermentation level that needed by the worms.

Native worms/garden earthworm will not do a fast job/great job for vermicompost, those worm eat very slowly and little. If we need to go for vermicompost no matter is small or big set up, we go for the proper vermicompost worms. Tiger worms is very very suitable for us as beginner to start with, it more adapt to our climate compare with Lumbricus rubellus which is more productive.

When I am ready will PM you for sharing half kg of worms. I am not welling to start with 1kg, if not i start long ago...

This post has been edited by Chinchillas: Apr 9 2008, 04:07 PM
eddychstu
post Apr 9 2008, 05:24 PM

Why so serious?
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interesting topics on vermiculture, will experiment with a small scale of breeding according to some internet tips and how to.

has anyone got any live pictures of worm breeding?
rexis
post Apr 10 2008, 07:38 AM

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QUOTE(Chinchillas @ Apr 9 2008, 03:57 PM)
Thanks for your very valueable sharing.

Let me plan on the where to place my worm bin and the worms should live for coming few yrs. I am organic gardener for passed 8yrs, I am making my own compost, growing vegetables in organic form, I think I should hv study enough about vermicompost for the passed 8 yrs. The only thing I not sure about is the fermentation level that needed by the worms.

Native worms/garden earthworm will not do a fast job/great job for vermicompost, those worm eat very slowly and little. If we need to go for vermicompost no matter is small or big set up, we go for the proper vermicompost worms. Tiger worms  is very very suitable for us as beginner to start with, it more adapt to our climate compare with Lumbricus rubellus which is more productive.

When I am ready will PM you for sharing half kg of worms. I am not welling to start with 1kg, if not i start long ago...
*
You are most welcomed.

An organic farmer! It is such an honor to have you here. Feel free to post around here.

About the the ripeness of the vermicompost, it is generally described as "dark and odorless or earthy smell", that means it is ready. IMHO, to be sure, you can keep the harvested compost for a period, while make sure no decomposing occur(like internal temperature change, etc, just like making regular compost).

True, local garden worms, not to say they cant do it, people just say that they cant do it fast enough, while I have yet to make any real life comparison with local and tiger worm. I have tried to keep garden soil worm(dig them out and make them a home) and they hv survived in captivity(worm bin) for more then six months, they grew bigger size and they produced capsules. In the process, some dying occurred but those who survived, is going to do very well. The worms are released to the wild due to complaints.

I am very interested how tiger worm can do better then that.

QUOTE(eddychstu @ Apr 9 2008, 05:24 PM)
interesting topics on vermiculture, will experiment with a small scale of breeding according to some internet tips and how to.

has anyone got any live pictures of worm breeding?
*
Why? To stimulate your appetite?

Here is some good banner to put in your siggy thou thumbup.gif
user posted image
Chinchillas
post Apr 10 2008, 03:11 PM

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Joined: Jan 2007
From: Kuala Lumpur


QUOTE(rexis @ Apr 10 2008, 07:38 AM)
You are most welcomed.

An organic farmer! It is such an honor to have you here. Feel free to post around here.

About the the ripeness of the vermicompost, it is generally described as "dark and odorless or earthy smell", that means it is ready. IMHO, to be sure, you can keep the harvested compost for a period, while make sure no decomposing occur(like internal temperature change, etc, just like making regular compost).

True, local garden worms, not to say they cant do it, people just say that they cant do it fast enough, while I have yet to make any real life comparison with local and tiger worm. I have tried to keep garden soil worm(dig them out and make them a home) and they hv survived in captivity(worm bin) for more then six months, they grew bigger size and they produced capsules. In the process, some dying occurred but those who survived, is going to do very well. The worms are released to the wild due to complaints.

I am very interested how tiger worm can do better then that.
Why? To stimulate your appetite?

Here is some good banner to put in your siggy thou thumbup.gif
user posted image
*
I am not talking about the ripeness of the vermicompost or the finish product-worms casting doh.gif , I am talking about the food that need to feed the worms it had to be composted before feeding them, it work very fast in this way.

Dyong
post Apr 10 2008, 03:20 PM

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A field trip for vermicompost?

Though I'm not in the agriculture field, interested in exploring conservation of the environment for our future generations.

Going Organic looks like a good way.

Michael J.
post Apr 10 2008, 05:28 PM

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Rexis, he meant the level of decomposition of the vegetative matter. You really can't expect the worms to gobble up a whole lettuce leaf mar.... haha.....

Mmm... Worm are detritivores actually. However, given they don't have teeth, and have to rely of the muscular breakdown on materials in their gizzard, it really makes sense that a certain level of decomposition must take place before giving them to the worms. But in my opinion, if there is a scheduled feeding system at the right ratio, then it don't matter about the level of decomposition, as the breakdown is fast anyway. Anyhow, the worms will go for the older materials first. If I remember correctly, the ratio was 2:1, for every 1 sqft space. This means 2kg worms is needed for every 1kg organic material consumed every week per square foot area. It is better to have a lower amount of organic matter than to overload the system.
rexis
post Apr 10 2008, 11:08 PM

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QUOTE(Chinchillas @ Apr 10 2008, 03:11 PM)
I am not talking about the ripeness of the vermicompost or the finish product-worms casting doh.gif , I am talking about the food that need to feed the worms it had to be composted before feeding them, it work very fast in this way.
*
Oh! That is something new for me! Feed composted stuff to earthworms.

Yeah, like MJ mentioned, earthworms go for rotten stuff first, as they do not hv the teeth to chew them up.

That would explain why the hell did my cabbage stayed in the worm bin for one whole week before i remove it laugh.gif
kianwei8
post Apr 13 2008, 09:44 PM

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News: another type of Composting using Bacteria , was more faster
Coz Bacteria double X2 every 20min

VS

Two pounds of worms, approximately 2000 of them, will eat one pound of compost every 48 hours

This post has been edited by kianwei8: Apr 13 2008, 10:08 PM
rexis
post Apr 14 2008, 10:00 AM

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QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Apr 13 2008, 09:44 PM)
News: another type of Composting using Bacteria , was more faster
Coz Bacteria double X2 every 20min

VS

Two pounds of worms, approximately 2000 of them, will eat one pound of compost every 48 hours
*
Yeah, there is another agri magazine recommend to compost with bacteria too rather with worms. I was trying to find out what is the difference between regular compost and worm compost(rather then having a bit of extra protein supply).

I have read about a method to cultivate vegetable on elevated bed/tray, the method is similar to the strawberry farms in cameron highland, but they put compost on the tray and even practice crop rotation on the elevated compost. It is said that by keeping away from the soil, you can prevent a number of diseases.

A friend has told me about a farmer from Kelantan "gantung" all his chili up, coz to prevent soil borne disease.
kianwei8
post Apr 14 2008, 10:24 AM

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some Pic during My Cameron Study Trip
tongue.gif


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rexis
post Apr 14 2008, 11:34 AM

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Replying to KW's thread located here in the investment forum.

QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Aug 28 2007, 11:07 AM)
Invest in agriculture sector? Agri make big$?

oil palm?rubber?fruit?swiftlet?Fish?Organic farming?agri related-produt
import/export?
High risk?margin?

Hey,Friend, share u experience here,what u hear?u friend/parent story?
*
QUOTE
Let me start with my grandma story first.

In the old days, my mum's family was very poor, grandpa is a carpenter and can barely make enough to sustain the family(make RM10 daily, some 40 years ago). So grandma decide to do something to help things out, she started planting vegetables in front of the house, and discovered that she can make even more(RM10+ daily), and so she rented a small piece of land(unknown acre, likely 1-2 acres), work everything out by family labor, including clear land, make tillage, cangkul soil, etc. And they they start making a life by planting vegetables.

My grandma vegetables were selling very well in the local market - she sell them in her own stall and very often, her vege finished up early.

Grandma consistency and hard work has earn her enough not only to raised her family of 10 children, they are also able to purchase a land(the land lady see them doing very well in farming vegetables, and trying to raise their rental)and then later had enough to purchase construction material and they build their own house there(grandpa is a skillful carpenter), and then, grandpa obtain his driving license and since then they deliver the vege to the local market with a van.

My uncles including two investors, one lawyer, one ACCA, one GM, and I can say, MOST of the are millionaires. All came from a humble small farm.

The farm land is now a wire mesh factory, operated by my uncles, grandma no longer need to go into planting vegetables but enjoying her retirement.

And hence i absolutely convinced that farming with hard work and the right way will not only bring you a promising future, but it is a wealthy and promising future.

Chinchillas
post Apr 14 2008, 02:39 PM

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From: Kuala Lumpur


QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Apr 13 2008, 09:44 PM)
News: another type of Composting using Bacteria , was more faster
Coz Bacteria double X2 every 20min

VS

Two pounds of worms, approximately 2000 of them, will eat one pound of compost every 48 hours
*
Bacteria is traditional composting method,which is command use now day. It very simple, but to maintain THAT bacteria to be active and ALIVE for composting, you need to flip your compost every other days, that call hot compost. No matter what method, eventually you will still have compost regardless of time = let material rot.


Added on April 14, 2008, 2:41 pm
QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Apr 14 2008, 10:24 AM)
some Pic during My Cameron Study Trip
tongue.gif
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*
Beautiful picture, those strawberry can only fruit in high land or coolest weather. If I stay in cameron, I AM SURE I WILL GROW lot of strawberry! thumbup.gif


Added on April 14, 2008, 2:49 pm
QUOTE(rexis @ Apr 14 2008, 10:00 AM)
Yeah, there is another agri magazine recommend to compost with bacteria too rather with worms. I was trying to find out what is the difference between regular compost and worm compost(rather then having a bit of extra protein supply).

I have read about a method to cultivate vegetable on elevated bed/tray, the method is similar to the strawberry farms in cameron highland, but they put compost on the tray and even practice crop rotation on the elevated compost. It is said that by keeping away from the soil, you can prevent a number of diseases.

A friend has told me about a farmer from Kelantan "gantung" all his chili up, coz to prevent soil borne disease.
*
Very true. Keep your crop from the soil can avoid many diseases especially on our climate. But that can be not true as well. But keep certain crop away from RAIN, is the best way from cotrolling disease. Most of the farmer will use rotation method to fix fertility of the soil, eg.some crop can fix the soil which is lack of N, but other will withdraw fully the N.

Those grow in tray/grow beg or compost media, they are very much well manage their NPK level for that particular crop, they not water just with plain water, they water compost tea or seaweed extract or worm casting tea.

Both bacteria and worms composting is really good for the soil, it just composting using bacteria need to be in HOT compost, not cold compost. Cold compost finishing will not have much nutritien value compare with hot compost.

This post has been edited by Chinchillas: Apr 14 2008, 02:54 PM
Michael J.
post Apr 15 2008, 12:57 AM

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Mmm.... Just got back from Cameron Highlands. Was not very impressed with most of the farms. The only thing that really impressed me was how they managed to keep the hill zone farms functional despite the steepness of the slope. Oh, and also the orang asli village.

Interesting note about the rain borne disease part. Yet seeing how countries like Thailand, China, and Indon can produce high quality perishable produce with rain-feeding method tells somethings else... Well ya, they do use heavy amounts of chemicals, but that's what you get from the Green Revolution.

Strawberries... Not very true... Commercial trials have already shown success in cultivating strawberries in lowland areas. Kelantan has shown good results. Same thing with grapes. Almost anyone you ask would tell you grapes need to be cultivated under cooling weather, when in reality grapes has part of its cultivation origin traced to Egypt. I've grown both grapes and strawberries in Sepang on a hobby scale, and they have born good fruits. If anyone knows Sepang well enough, they would know how scorching hot it can be.

Speaking of the elevated bed/tray method, saw that too at Cameron. Vegetables looked really nice, but as bro Chinchillas pointed out, they really managed the inputs very well to get those results.

To me, I would be in favour of something like that. Not because of disease or anything like that, but more of control and management. It is far more easier and efficient to do quality control on your produce if done that way. Right from the start, you are delivering equal inputs to all your crops, assuming you're using crop of uniform profiles of course.
Chinchillas
post Apr 15 2008, 12:02 PM

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QUOTE(Michael J. @ Apr 15 2008, 12:57 AM)
Mmm.... Just got back from Cameron Highlands. Was not very impressed with most of the farms. The only thing that really impressed me was how they managed to keep the hill zone farms functional despite the steepness of the slope. Oh, and also the orang asli village.

Interesting note about the rain borne disease part. Yet seeing how countries like Thailand, China, and Indon can produce high quality perishable produce with rain-feeding method tells somethings else... Well ya, they do use heavy amounts of chemicals, but that's what you get from the Green Revolution.

Strawberries... Not very true... Commercial trials have already shown success in cultivating strawberries in lowland areas. Kelantan has shown good results. Same thing with grapes. Almost anyone you ask would tell you grapes need to be cultivated under cooling weather, when in reality grapes has part of its cultivation origin traced to Egypt. I've grown both grapes and strawberries in Sepang on a hobby scale, and they have born good fruits. If anyone knows Sepang well enough, they would know how scorching hot it can be.

Speaking of the elevated bed/tray method, saw that too at Cameron. Vegetables looked really nice, but as bro Chinchillas pointed out, they really managed the inputs very well to get those results.

To me, I would be in favour of something like that. Not because of disease or anything like that, but more of control and management. It is far more easier and efficient to do quality control on your produce if done that way. Right from the start, you are delivering equal inputs to all your crops, assuming you're using crop of uniform profiles of course.
*
Ah... Then I wan to visit the strawberry farm in Sepang! See weather it taste sweet or sour.
Michael J.
post Apr 15 2008, 05:21 PM

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Strawberry farm in Sepang? Where got strawberry farm in Sepang? That is in Kelantan lar..... The Sepang one (Selangor) was my own hobby planting, and no they were not excessively sour, nor were they extremely sweet. Still good nonetheless.

The sweetness/quality of fruit can be manipulated under the right conditioning, eg. fertilizer inputs, soil pH, water KH, solar intensity etc. Of course, it is easier to cultivate certain crops if the right conditions are available at hand, then there are just a few parameters to play with. But if given no such easily available conditions, then the modern agriculturist has to get the crop to adapt, or adapt themselves to the conditions.

Just one example, cocoa. In the past, every planter swore that cocoa is a shade crop, requiring minimal shade reduction over time, and if exposed to too much sunlight, will not thrive. Why? Simply because cocoa was from the Amazon rainforest, and grew amongst the midland forest regions where light intensity was at median. However in Tawau, cocoa is planted bare, without shade trees, and yet they are one the highest cocoa producing places in the world, and they produce some of the finest cocoa in the world too. How could this be? The agriculturist who did it made the crop adapt; That same agriculturist also adapted as well.

Change is inevitable; to move forward, change must happen. Isaac Newton once stated that no one can be a mere observer, for even the observer is a participant of a given system. No one observes something without imprinting an effect on that thing, and thereby changing it.
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post Apr 15 2008, 05:35 PM

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QUOTE(Michael J. @ Apr 15 2008, 05:21 PM)
Change is inevitable; to move forward, change must happen. Isaac Newton once stated that no one can be a mere observer, for even the observer is a participant of a given system. No one observes something without imprinting an effect on that thing, and thereby changing it.
*
I like this sentence, can I quote you and save this under my list of meaningful quotes?
Michael J.
post Apr 15 2008, 11:44 PM

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Sure brother, no prob at all... I'm just resonating the wisdom of those who came before me.
rexis
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QUOTE(Michael J. @ Apr 15 2008, 05:21 PM)
Strawberry farm in Sepang? Where got strawberry farm in Sepang? That is in Kelantan lar..... The Sepang one (Selangor) was my own hobby planting, and no they were not excessively sour, nor were they extremely sweet. Still good nonetheless.

The sweetness/quality of fruit can be manipulated under the right conditioning, eg. fertilizer inputs, soil pH, water KH, solar intensity etc. Of course, it is easier to cultivate certain crops if the right conditions are available at hand, then there are just a few parameters to play with. But if given no such easily available conditions, then the modern agriculturist has to get the crop to adapt, or adapt themselves to the conditions.

Just one example, cocoa. In the past, every planter swore that cocoa is a shade crop, requiring minimal shade reduction over time, and if exposed to too much sunlight, will not thrive. Why? Simply because cocoa was from the Amazon rainforest, and grew amongst the midland forest regions where light intensity was at median. However in Tawau, cocoa is planted bare, without shade trees, and yet they are one the highest cocoa producing places in the world, and they produce some of the finest cocoa in the world too. How could this be? The agriculturist who did it made the crop adapt; That same agriculturist also adapted as well.

Change is inevitable; to move forward, change must happen. Isaac Newton once stated that no one can be a mere observer, for even the observer is a participant of a given system. No one observes something without imprinting an effect on that thing, and thereby changing it.
*
Izzit? Never realized Tawau Cocoa so famous, but their products sure are good stuff, try if you can find some Hoko 3in1 coco drink in the supermarket, they pwned milo inside out in taste.

I do know agriculture play a great part in contributing to Tawau economy, most of them cash crops(Oil palm and Cocoa, etc), vegetable and fruit farmers do not have too many local demand, the population are quite low in Sabah.

Was classmate to the daughters from the family who operate the largest cocoa plantation and some oil palm plantation during highschool.

This post has been edited by rexis: Apr 16 2008, 11:55 AM
Michael J.
post Apr 16 2008, 06:28 PM

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Oh yes brother, it is very famous. The some of quality Tawau cocoa is much better than Ghana one even, which is the standard grading for high grade cocoa.

This post has been edited by Michael J.: Apr 16 2008, 06:29 PM
utaikamah
post Apr 18 2008, 05:33 AM

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Hi there, I've been reading about the worm breeding and I was wondering where to start? I have 2 frens going for the course, 1 on the 19th and 1 on the 22nd. But I would really like to have a look at the farm myself first to get a clearer picture? Anyone willing to let me see your earthworm farm. Kindly PM me your e-mail or contact number. I'm planning to start this project next week. The IT market is bad, why not we make our money in breeding worm, after all we don't have to monitor them 24/7 still got time to go leveling if anyone playing online game biggrin.gif
rexis
post Apr 18 2008, 08:52 AM

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QUOTE(utaikamah @ Apr 18 2008, 05:33 AM)
Hi there, I've been reading about the worm breeding and I was wondering where to start? I have 2 frens going for the course, 1 on the 19th and 1 on the 22nd. But I would really like to have a look at the farm myself first to get a clearer picture? Anyone willing to let me see your earthworm farm. Kindly PM me your e-mail or contact number. I'm planning to start this project next week. The IT market is bad, why not we make our money in breeding worm, after all we don't have to monitor them 24/7 still got time to go leveling if anyone playing online game biggrin.gif
*
Hi there, I myself is also in the realm of IT, it is indeed good to take action for good purpose. But it is very important to do your homework. Keeping worm not as easy as it sound like, if you overfed the worm, you will find them overran you fruit fly maggots. And there is no hard and fast rules for breeding worms.

I am encouraging agriculture for the purpose of better quality and more rewarding life. Remember not too spend too much time in beating up dungeon monsters leveling all day once you decide to start any business, expect yourself to work 2x harder when running your own business.
jcvstlys
post Apr 18 2008, 11:21 AM

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I'm from Tawau and i also dont know the cocoa is so good there.
Michael J.
post Apr 18 2008, 12:16 PM

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Hmmm.... Tawau cocoa is regarded the best in the Asian region lei.. i terms of production, it is ranked 3 after Cote d'Ivore and Ghana.

Maybe the reason why many Malaysians dont know the quality of Tawau cocoa is because it is largely used in high grade stuff, especially the cocoa butter.
rexis
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QUOTE(Michael J. @ Apr 18 2008, 12:16 PM)
Hmmm.... Tawau cocoa is regarded the best in the Asian region lei.. in terms of production, it is ranked 3 after Cote d'Ivore and Ghana.

Maybe the reason why many Malaysians dont know the quality of Tawau cocoa is because it is largely used in high grade stuff, especially the cocoa butter.
*
Fyi, Hoko is made in Tawau, and I think its quite good.

Just that they are more focusing in export market rather then doing much in local market. This is reasonable because Tawau has a low demand due to low population compare to city.

And hence thats why the cocoa estate company in Tawau is making billions.

We have plenty of world class products here in Malaysia, another example is in Sibu, Shell has a first in the world and once the largest in the world(now should be replaced by some middle east country) natural gas processing plant that produce liquid fuel with natural gas(GTL).

Not like some high profile white elephants, the best things work quietly in the background.
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post Apr 18 2008, 02:06 PM

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Yes, hence why I said it is used in high grade stuff. But Hoko utilizes the more average cocoa lei... and yet it is still quite good. So imagine what they are exporting la...

Hmm... I don't agree with the point that because Tawau is not highly populated there is no high demand. Almost everyone has drunk one form of chocolate drink, be it Milo, Ovaltine, or Vico etc. Furthermore, the most money making component of cocoa is not cocoa solids, but cocoa butter. This is the stuff that goes into cosmetics, lipsticks, glycerine, industrial wax etc.

Yes, their main focus is export market, but who wouldn't export their high grade stuff given the premium prices they are getting? If sell to local area (meaning within Tawau, not even rest of Malaysia), I feel the plantation will surely wither and die. Even other plantations also same, they sell out, not sell within. Only small percentage is sell within. That's about the only way to get high returns; most Malaysians prefer quantity over quality, although this is slowly changing. Hence, would they be willing to pay a premium for premium stuff? The younger generation of Malaysians would, but the older generation generally wouldn't. That's why now Teck Guan Plantations (Hoko brand owner) is starting to market within Malaysia as well.

Hahaaa.... white elephant.... That's correct, a lot of good things generally run silently behind the scenes....
jcvstlys
post Apr 18 2008, 03:36 PM

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Hoko is by Teck Guan. My uncle is the CEO there. =.=
Michael J.
post Apr 18 2008, 05:29 PM

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Hmm? Correct lar, Teck Guan owns the Hoko brand... Did I type wrongly? *Puzzled*

Your uncle is CEO there? That's very good then. Maybe you could brief us more about the cocoa scene in Tawau? As far as I know, MCB is promoting plantings in East Malaysia quite intensely.

I don't know much about other cocoa plantations around the Tawau region, but Teck Guan Plantations gave me a very good impression, and I was quite impressed with their plantings and products.

Haha... Next time if want to visit the cocoa village, can arrange through you mah?
utaikamah
post Apr 19 2008, 06:11 AM

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Of course doing own business one have to work 2x harder. The reason why i mentioned about the online gaming thingy is just another way to say that people like me being an IT person has time to myself. If i manage to breed worms..at the same time I still have time to update myself with IT..as you know technology always evolve and people like us can't stop updating ourselves. biggrin.gif I just want to sustain myself in the current situation where they might be people like me who is less fortunate and can't make it in the IT world whereby we are graduated in IT skool. At least we still can earn our own money, no doubt its from agro. The reality is, when it comes to the end of the month, we will always look at our pay slip. Its either we say "f**k! i'm not earning enuff to sustain my life" or "f**k not enuff to spend leh" so bottom line is need to earn enuf to fill up stomach, car petrol, house rent/instalment, bills and also wife/gf/ siblings. Why should we waste the opportunity to make money when the demand is there right? At the same time we still can pick up bits and pieces on IT and who knows, after we earn enough we still can pursue our dream in IT industry. I'm just saying my mind out. biggrin.gif sorry if i hurt anyones feelings. smile.gif

end of the day people will always ask "how much are you earning?" back in kampung..u think they care whether you design network structure for putrajaya city or write a sophisticated software for a big company? It doesn't mean I want to save my face. Its true when they ask about our earnings. If we earn enough, we can sustain our life. If not, we are f**ked. haha..they won't take our money one la..they just want to know that their future generation can live on another decade to see the world evolve. They are more then happy if they know that we secure our own future.

Again, I'm just writing my opinion out. I feel very happy that I found this forum with everyone tat is interested in agro. smile.gif Lets make it happen and get through this hard times.
jcvstlys
post Apr 19 2008, 10:02 AM

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QUOTE(Michael J. @ Apr 18 2008, 05:29 PM)
Hmm? Correct lar, Teck Guan owns the Hoko brand... Did I type wrongly? *Puzzled*

Your uncle is CEO there? That's very good then. Maybe you could brief us more about the cocoa scene in Tawau? As far as I know, MCB is promoting plantings in East Malaysia quite intensely.

I don't know much about other cocoa plantations around the Tawau region, but Teck Guan Plantations gave me a very good impression, and I was quite impressed with their plantings and products.

Haha... Next time if want to visit the cocoa village, can arrange through you mah?
*
Cant really help you much. Am curently in KL studying.
rexis
post Apr 19 2008, 10:30 AM

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QUOTE(utaikamah @ Apr 19 2008, 06:11 AM)
Of course doing own business one have to work 2x harder. The reason why i mentioned about the online gaming thingy is just another way to say that people like me being an IT person has time to myself. If i manage to breed worms..at the same time I still have time to update myself with IT..as you know technology always evolve and people like us can't stop updating ourselves. biggrin.gif I just want to sustain myself in the current situation where they might be people like me who is less fortunate and can't make it in the IT world whereby we are graduated in IT skool. At least we still can earn our own money, no doubt its from agro. The reality is, when it comes to the end of the month, we will always look at our pay slip. Its either we say "f**k! i'm not earning enuff to sustain my life" or "f**k not enuff to spend leh" so bottom line is need to earn enuf to fill up stomach, car petrol, house rent/instalment, bills and also wife/gf/ siblings. Why should we waste the opportunity to make money when the demand is there right? At the same time we still can pick up bits and pieces on IT and who knows, after we earn enough we still can pursue our dream in IT industry. I'm just saying my mind out. biggrin.gif sorry if i hurt anyones feelings. smile.gif

end of the day people will always ask "how much are you earning?" back in kampung..u think they care whether you design network structure for putrajaya city or write a sophisticated software for a big company? It doesn't mean I want to save my face. Its true when they ask about our earnings. If we earn enough, we can sustain our life. If not, we are f**ked. haha..they won't take our money one la..they just want to know that their future generation can live on another decade to see the world evolve. They are more then happy if they know that we secure our own future.

Again, I'm just writing my opinion out. I feel very happy that I found this forum with everyone tat is interested in agro. smile.gif Lets make it happen and get through this hard times.
*
Your thought and feeling make a real sense. It is indeed true that being able to earn enough is the real meat of surviving in this cruel world. People dont give a damn at how smart you able to design a network system, or how well you understand OOP in programming. Your value is represented by a set of numbers.

By working for others
- your work is your responsibility, nobody appreciate anything.
- your boss/company/stupid top management decide how much you will be earning.
- you depended on your pity salary, no matter how high is it.
- the company will try to get rid of you once they think you are not productive enough.
- no matter how you whine for low pay or high fuel cost, your boss will not give you a damn.

By venturing in agribusiness
- you start taking charge of your life, including all the risk, potential, meeting national demand and contribute directly to economy.
- it is up to you to decide and plan how much you want to expand and earn.
- you can plan out your crops to control when and how much you earn.
- you can work until 110 years old and you modernize you farm by buying tractors.
- as a raw material producer, you gain more from rising cost...

These are IMHO, but I seriously thought that by getting salary from your company, is nearly as good as getting pocket money under the care of your parent.
utaikamah
post Apr 19 2008, 11:32 PM

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I got the latest information on breeding worms..I hope putting a website link in here is not and offense. Please check this website out. This is one of the pros.

http://www.azragrocentre.com/azr2/news.php
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 20 2008, 11:38 AM

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so anyone had started their worm breeding farm?mind to show some pics?hehe
Michael J.
post Apr 20 2008, 02:03 PM

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Bro jcvstlys, it's ok lar.. Just means the junior plant breeder's union would have to write in only... Haha..
kianwei8
post Apr 20 2008, 02:05 PM

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Attached Image

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This post has been edited by kianwei8: Apr 20 2008, 02:43 PM
jcvstlys
post Apr 20 2008, 03:07 PM

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Nice.. You bought 1kilo of worms?
utaikamah
post Apr 20 2008, 03:29 PM

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wah kianwei8..where u buy the baby worm? how much ar? biggrin.gif
mudz
post Apr 20 2008, 03:32 PM

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omg , i want some worms too , mind to share where u get it ?
kianwei8
post Apr 20 2008, 11:29 PM

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paiseh ,other ppl d, my one soon
jcvstlys
post Apr 22 2008, 12:39 AM

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Anyone got experience in opening a mushroom farm? Mind to share?
utaikamah
post Apr 22 2008, 08:13 AM

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QUOTE(jcvstlys @ Apr 22 2008, 12:39 AM)
Anyone got experience in opening a mushroom farm? Mind to share?
*
hmm...mushroom? organic ones? I heard that mushroom will eat up loads of ur time sweat.gif


Added on April 22, 2008, 8:16 am
QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Apr 20 2008, 11:29 PM)
paiseh ,other ppl d, my one soon
*
can u ask that someone how much he buy? can i buy from him the baby worm? plsssssssssssSSSSS? drool.gif

This post has been edited by utaikamah: Apr 22 2008, 08:16 AM
Dyong
post Apr 22 2008, 09:25 AM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Apr 19 2008, 10:30 AM)

These are IMHO, but I seriously thought that by getting salary from your company, is nearly as good as getting pocket money under the care of your parent.

*
Nar Rexis, parents will bite their fingers and still give you the best when time's tough;
Your employer .... hohoho, will say Merry X'mas and Byebye to you.

On the part where you commented that everyone only looks at the numbers.

Hmm, well, most people are superficial, you can never please them alone by numbers.
Too little < they look down on you
Too much > they jealous and think you're a stuck up or they rush to suck your thumb

I always believe the desire for money can only go this far, but the desire to provide society's need is the more likely reason that fuel an endless cycle of innovation and wealth.


rexis
post Apr 22 2008, 01:29 PM

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QUOTE(jcvstlys @ Apr 22 2008, 12:39 AM)
Anyone got experience in opening a mushroom farm? Mind to share?
*
No i dont have experience in mushroom farm, I am more like experienced with eating them biggrin.gif

However, growing mushroom is surprisingly easy. In the early days, a mushroom grower start up from his backyard and now operating a mushroom factory which chunk out tons of mushroom weekly. Theres also another example that a women who operated a mushroom factory(aka mushroom hut) and gain considerable success, with business volumes worth millions annually. These are the success stories.

The ingredients to grow mushroom
- growing material
- mushroom mycelium
- plastic bag
- pressure cooker
Fill plastic bags with growing material, disinfect the stuff in the pressure cooker, and then apply mycelium and keep it in a dark and cool warehouse and wait for mushroom. Of course, there are details like housekeeping, extend harvesting period, etc.

Typical return from a bag of growing material is about 200-300 grams of mushroom over 4 months, but another mushroom grower is reported being able to gather up to 1kg of mushroom over 6 months with better growing material and mushroom hut moisture and temperature control.

Wholesale price of oyster mushroom is about RM5.50-6.00, and supermarket sell them for about RMm8.00.

-

Growing Material

They mainly consist of agricultural, timber, forestry waste products, such as saw dust, rice straw, rice bran, etc. In a typical oyster mushroom growing bag, there are about 90% of saw dust and 10% of rice bran, different origin of waste material contain different nutrition value(for mushroom)and could yield different result, some might work better then the other. I have read about a mushroom grower try mix corn flour in the bag and yield a slightly different taste mushroom.

Do note that since mushroom quality is directly influenced by the growing material, therefore any chemical, heavy metal residue on the planting material will directly pollute your mushroom.

You can either choose to mix your own growing material as well as bag, sterilize, plant the mushroom yourself, which required a large pressure cooker for this purpose as well as large mixer machine to stir up the materials. Its a lot of work and required plenty of capital.

Or you can purchase a sterilized mushroom bag from a mushroom grower/factory. All you need is a ventilated room with water sprayer fans to keep them.

Mycelium

Mycelium is the true body of mushroom, something like a root of a plant, but its not a root. You can choose to purchase mycelium of certain mushroom(oyster, straw, wood ear, ganoderma, etc)

It is possible to breed mycelium yourself but you required a lab to do so. Its tough to isolate a pure mycelium without being contaminated by wild fungus.

Plastic bags and pressure cooker

Plastic bags as well as a special cap(or simply a ring to hold an opening on the bag is being used to hold the planting material, while pressure cooker is important for wiping out all the rest of the alien spores and fungus so that nothing else will disturb your mushroom.

PS: dedicated discussion thread here

This post has been edited by rexis: Apr 22 2008, 05:39 PM
jcvstlys
post Apr 22 2008, 04:09 PM

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Thanks for the write up rexis. very detail. Anyway, anyone know where to take the course for this? Have been looking and all is located in pahang or kedah for the course. M hoping to get somewhere nearer since m still studying.
rexis
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QUOTE(jcvstlys @ Apr 22 2008, 04:09 PM)
Thanks for the write up rexis. very detail. Anyway, anyone know where to take the course for this? Have been looking and all is located in pahang or kedah for the course. M hoping to get somewhere nearer since m still studying.
*
jcvstlys, the guide is quite brief, there are more details about what nutrient can be used for increase production, humidity and temperature control, how to clone and breed new breed, etc etc etc. The magazine Today Agriculture sometimes organize mushroom training course but its been more then 2 months since I read the magazine - not sure are they still operating. I know there is one mushroom farm that sometimes organize training course for whoever interested. And I am quite sure that whoever selling any mushroom substrate to you are willing to guide you as well.

Or since the method is pretty straight forward, you can choose to learn the details by doing it biggrin.gif I personally hv tried purchased some oyster mushroom from hypermarket and successfully(pure white silky thread) isolated some mycelium on a glass of jelly, all according to the guides found in the internet. Never planted the mycelium on any substrate thou, my apartment really too small for a mushroom hut.

Should you need any mushroom contacts, I can try dig dig my library.
kianwei8
post Apr 23 2008, 12:18 PM

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Forget oil, the new global crisis is food

BMO strategist Donald Coxe warns credit crunch and soaring oil prices will pale in comparison to looming catastrophe

Wheat prices alone have risen 92% in the past year, and yesterday closed at US$9.45 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade.

At the centre of the imminent food catastrophe is corn - the main staple of the ethanol industry. The price of corn has risen about 44% over the past 15 months, closing at US$4.66 a bushel on the CBOT yesterday - its best finish since June 1996.

Food Crisis Feared as Fertile Land Runs Out
Maps show 40% of Earth's land is used for agriculture
Growing human 'footprint' a risk to the environment


Crisis= Chance
rclxms.gif
rexis
post Apr 23 2008, 04:02 PM

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QUOTE(kianwei8 @ Apr 23 2008, 12:18 PM)
- as above -
*
FYI,
1 bushel of wheat is 60 lb or 27.2kg
1 bushel of shelled corn is 56 lb or 25.4kg

So,
US$9.45/bushel of wheat = US$347.43/tonne
US$4.66/bushel of corn = US$183.46/tonne

Did I get the figure wrong? I recalled that a few months back corn price was at over RM1000 per ton?
utaikamah
post Apr 23 2008, 11:32 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Apr 23 2008, 04:02 PM)
FYI,
1 bushel of wheat is 60 lb or 27.2kg
1 bushel of shelled corn is 56 lb or 25.4kg

So,
US$9.45/bushel of wheat = US$347.43/tonne
US$4.66/bushel of corn = US$183.46/tonne

Did I get the figure wrong? I recalled that a few months back corn price was at over RM1000 per ton?
*
Wanna know why? Cause alot of angmo start to eat rice...thanks to roti canai, capati, naan and tandoori...it was a big hit in Germany last 2 years.. thumbup.gif now the angmo dun wanna eat their spaghetti and bun and whatever they are eating...

and now thailand got cheat code to make paddy harvest-able in 90 days (if i'm not mistaken) perlis start project liao..whoever's kampung is planting paddy...better go back and plant..good money! brows.gif


This post has been edited by utaikamah: Apr 23 2008, 11:36 PM
mIssfROGY
post Apr 24 2008, 01:33 AM

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QUOTE(utaikamah @ Apr 23 2008, 11:32 PM)
Wanna know why? Cause alot of angmo start to eat rice...thanks to roti canai, capati, naan and tandoori...it was a big hit in Germany last 2 years..  thumbup.gif now the angmo dun wanna eat their spaghetti and bun and whatever they are eating...

and now thailand got cheat code to make paddy harvest-able in 90 days (if i'm not mistaken) perlis start project liao..whoever's kampung is planting paddy...better go back and plant..good money!  brows.gif
*
Har serious in 90days? Where to get the info? I will need it...hehe. Family is planting paddy.
utaikamah
post Apr 24 2008, 08:38 AM

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QUOTE(mIssfROGY @ Apr 24 2008, 01:33 AM)
Har serious in 90days? Where to get the info? I will need it...hehe. Family is planting paddy.
*
where to get it? shocking.gif ngehehehe...thailand has that technology. Thats all I know. sweat.gif Infor? Simple. Have to find jalan from thailand people. brows.gif
ROTiJOHN
post Apr 24 2008, 12:43 PM

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anyone can sell me 100 to 200 gram worm?i was thinking wan to bleed the worm myself..thanks..cos the seller i know need to sell at least 1 kg..
mIssfROGY
post Apr 24 2008, 01:56 PM

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QUOTE(utaikamah @ Apr 24 2008, 08:38 AM)
where to get it?  shocking.gif  ngehehehe...thailand has that technology. Thats all I know.  sweat.gif  Infor? Simple. Have to find jalan from thailand people.  brows.gif
*
Harr....will thai people tell? The last time i read about them, they very protective of themselves and protects the local business from foreigners. OH well...... blink.gif
rexis
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QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Apr 24 2008, 12:43 PM)
anyone can sell me 100 to 200 gram worm?i was thinking wan to bleed the worm myself..thanks..cos the seller i know need to sell at least 1 kg..
*
I can share with you but that is only when I get my place ready, that is after next month I plan to rent another cheap apartment or room.
friends!!
post Apr 24 2008, 10:29 PM

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There are source of fish filleting by product which is fresh water fish and also the water waste. But dunno how to deal with it. Normally js grind it to feed the fish. Even it can process to become fish mill but have been tried in kedah there they fail to process it due to high fat content. =.=

Is a good source of protein, calcium and phosphate. guys u all have any way out??

Beside that the water waste also high in nitrogen sources which suitable for fermentation. But i have no ideal to get buyer now we js treat it with aerobic bacteria to consume out the waste..... so dam waste...

Ya when processing we get lot of fish skin... u guy got any way out? may let me know may b we can co-operate for it.


Added on April 24, 2008, 10:32 pmaddition for it we get fish oil when cook it and got some buyer for it for crude oil. anyone here also intrested ? gv the better price wakakka

This post has been edited by friends!!: Apr 24 2008, 10:32 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Apr 25 2008, 05:03 AM

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QUOTE(friends!! @ Apr 24 2008, 10:29 PM)
There are source of fish filleting by product which is fresh water fish and also the water waste. But dunno how to deal with it. Normally js grind it to feed the fish. Even it can process to become fish mill but have been tried in kedah there they fail to process it due to high fat content. =.=

Is a good source of protein, calcium and phosphate. guys u all have any way out??

Beside that the water waste also high in nitrogen sources which suitable for fermentation. But i have no ideal to get buyer now we js treat it with aerobic bacteria to consume out the waste..... so dam waste...

Ya when processing we get lot of fish skin... u guy got any way out? may let me know may b we can co-operate for it.


Added on April 24, 2008, 10:32 pmaddition for it we get fish oil when cook it and got some buyer for it for crude oil. anyone here also intrested ? gv the better price wakakka
*
i am sorry but i couldnt understand what you are trying to say ?
can you structure it properly ?

Michael J.
post Apr 25 2008, 07:55 AM

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Hmmm...

Sounds like our friend here has a fish fillet processing business that has a lot of by-products, i.e. fish skin, fish gut, bones etc. as well as the waste water from the whole process. What he had done before was to pulverize the waste and feed them to the fish. At one point, it was processed as fish meal in Kedah, but unfortunately it failed terribly due to the high fatty acid content. I believe he had sent the fish meal for analysis, which showed a high protein, calcium and phosphate content (consistent with skin, gut, and bone material).

So now, he's asking for solutions to all this waste. How to turn it into some value added material. The waste water has also been found to be highly nitrogenous, and suitable for fermentation(?), yet he has no ideal buyer of this waste material, so he just use aerobic fermentation processes to break it down.

The other thing he has is fish oil. Not sure if he's asking for better price for his oil, or if he's suggesting he would give a better price for anyone who wants to take it.
friends!!
post Apr 25 2008, 12:08 PM

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ya that i means have poor command of english. haha

utaikamah
post Apr 25 2008, 08:28 PM

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QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Apr 24 2008, 12:43 PM)
anyone can sell me 100 to 200 gram worm?i was thinking wan to bleed the worm myself..thanks..cos the seller i know need to sell at least 1 kg..
*
like this la you tell me who is the seller and how much is he offering. you take 200 gram out..the rest i take..leng mou? smile.gif faster faster..if can this weekend you confirm with me the price. I want to start next week jor.


Added on April 27, 2008, 2:50 pm
QUOTE(mIssfROGY @ Apr 24 2008, 01:56 PM)
Harr....will thai people tell? The last time i read about them, they very protective of themselves and protects the local business from foreigners. OH well......  blink.gif
*
yes they are...from my sources, they did an ecra of land in perlis for testing. Several Thai agro officer came down and did a demo. They are now monitoring the paddy plantation from time to time. If u got relatives or frens that is in thailand, maybe they can help u out in looking for the substance that the thai is using on paddy plantation. Thai also got this substance for oil palm tree. I heard that they can control the growth of oil palm..as in height, name the height you want and they can give you the correct substance. damn geng la thais..hehehe..owh well..agro originated from them what..how to beat them sweat.gif


Added on April 27, 2008, 7:52 pmhmm...now that suppliers for the worm is available..i wonder who is able to detect where to find the buyer of these vermin biggrin.gif

This post has been edited by utaikamah: Apr 27 2008, 07:52 PM
harnsheng
post May 3 2008, 07:06 PM

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hi again..too bz to update, have some picture to share, about my Aquaculture course, pls feel free to have a look at my album!

http://s266.photobucket.com/albums/ii253/aquaculture_album/
mamba
post May 4 2008, 02:12 AM

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QUOTE
The fish seed will grow to 1/2 inch long 10 days after hatched, these 1/2 inch Haluan fish have a golden orange colour, in this period the fish seeds are being fed with Moina Microbes. When the fish seeds has grew to 1/2 inch long they will feed them with fish feed. The fish feed will be grounded into powder before feeding. After 15 more days, these 1/2 inch fish seeds will grow to 1 inch long.

Where can we find it?
harnsheng
post May 4 2008, 09:34 AM

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Moina and Daphnia can be found in waste water pond.

Culturing yourself might be a little bit tricky, with trials and error.
as for me, i always catch it from nearby wastewater pond, i can get by kilos and fed to my keli and patin larvaes!
mamba
post May 4 2008, 10:55 AM

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Thanx for the info. Can u post the picture of moina for reference here smile.gif

Thanx in advance.
harnsheng
post May 4 2008, 04:13 PM

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QUOTE(mamba @ May 4 2008, 10:55 AM)
Thanx for the info. Can u post the picture of moina for reference here smile.gif

Thanx in advance.
*
taken under the microscope



Attached thumbnail(s)
Attached Image Attached Image
mamba
post May 4 2008, 09:17 PM

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Thanx!now i know what and how they look like. smile.gif How do you catch them?And how do we know that we get a kilo of it?sorry if im troubling u.
harnsheng
post May 4 2008, 09:22 PM

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no prob.

well, they look reddish la. when u see some reddish thing swarming on the surface of the water.. thats moina. use the white fine nets sold in lfs wan lo. kilo? weight it lo.. haha.. we catch it and put in container wan, without water. then can weight lo. haha...
mamba
post May 5 2008, 05:51 PM

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haha..icic..thanx a lot bro!fish shop got sell this moina right?
harnsheng
post May 6 2008, 07:21 AM

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maybe... not sure la. i havent seen one for sale, except frozen perhaps. but i dont like to use it, bad quality...
mamba
post May 10 2008, 01:41 AM

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have anyone do worm farming?how much is the minimal/total cost for startup?
Chinchillas
post May 13 2008, 11:05 AM

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anyone have contact for commercial greenhouse builder? PM me pls.

This post has been edited by Chinchillas: May 13 2008, 11:05 AM
yehlai
post May 14 2008, 01:28 AM

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aiyu, miss out the meet up. was at China tht time.
Im food estate & agribusiness student, hope can join u guys for the next meet. nice to meet u all ya boss!!
rexis
post May 14 2008, 01:52 AM

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QUOTE(mamba @ May 10 2008, 01:41 AM)
have anyone do worm farming?how much is the minimal/total cost for startup?
*
What kind of worm farming you are talking about?

Be it earthworm, mealworm, maggot, etc. The start up could be a high school budget science project to hundreds thousands commercial scale project.

If you ask me about the minimal cost for startup, it can be well below RM1000 or even below RM100.

But before you venture into any project, it is important to identify the market first. Who you gonna sell the worms to?

QUOTE(Chinchillas @ May 13 2008, 11:05 AM)
anyone have contact for commercial greenhouse builder? PM me pls.
*
I am not with my small library now... if u can wait, remind me early next month biggrin.gif

QUOTE(yehlai @ May 14 2008, 01:28 AM)
aiyu, miss out the meet up. was at China tht time.
Im food estate & agribusiness student, hope can join u guys for the next meet. nice to meet u all ya boss!!
*
Nice to have another bright fella to join the party, please do hang around as we will hv updates from time to time.

This post has been edited by rexis: May 14 2008, 02:03 AM
Chinchillas
post May 14 2008, 02:23 PM

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Rexis, any place you know that is 1+ hours drive away from Selangor that have land to rent for develop agriculture? Any contact? I will PM you next month on the contact for greenhouse builder.
harnsheng
post May 18 2008, 01:58 PM

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anyone interested in starting Patin culture? contact me 012 5674922
but im in KK area only, self collect..
TSParaOpticaL
post May 19 2008, 08:27 AM

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i am currently talking to a friend who has a plot of land empty for agriculture.

will provide more update later... biggrin.gif
bluewave
post May 21 2008, 11:18 AM

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ParaOpticaL, it's a interesting thread, it took me some time to go thru every bit of it, wow!...from your desk job to aquaculture business must big a big leap, hoping to see your bountiful harvest soon!...count me in if there's any meeting up session!...
mamba
post May 22 2008, 11:17 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ May 14 2008, 01:52 AM)
What kind of worm farming you are talking about?

Be it earthworm, mealworm, maggot, etc. The start up could be a high school budget science project to hundreds thousands commercial scale project.

If you ask me about the minimal cost for startup, it can be well below RM1000 or even below RM100.
*
Forgot to state, im interested in earthworm farming for compose. But Im just interested to start it with about 200gram worms, and yes I know normally no one will sell it unless I bought a kilo. Is there any chance for me to get it? smile.gif

QUOTE(Chinchillas @ May 14 2008, 02:23 PM)
Rexis, any place you know that is 1+ hours drive away from Selangor that have land to rent for develop agriculture? Any contact? I will PM you next month on the contact for greenhouse builder.
*
Planning to setup chinchillas farm eh? brows.gif
rexis
post May 24 2008, 11:23 AM

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QUOTE(mamba @ May 22 2008, 11:17 PM)
Forgot to state, im interested in earthworm farming for compose. But Im just interested to start it with about 200gram worms, and yes I know normally no one will sell it unless I bought a kilo. Is there any chance for me to get it? smile.gif
Planning to setup chinchillas farm eh? brows.gif
*
200 grams earthworms... you might as well just go and catch them ^^ your garden earthworm will work too. I has personally did it, and i see them eating my shredded office paper like mad, I know that because after one day the garden earthworms moved into my worm bin, i seen lots of bite size(worm bite size) paper bit all over the worm bin, it means that they starting to eat my bedding as soon as them moved in!

What is in your mind to to earthworm farming aka vermiculture? for the worm or for the compost?

I saw a local shop selling worm compost for RM6 per 1/2 kg package O.o expensive! Thanks to these people who pioneer into the market, next time when we established our worm farm and we can start selling out compost at discounted price!

This post has been edited by rexis: May 24 2008, 11:27 AM
mIssfROGY
post May 24 2008, 03:50 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ May 19 2008, 08:27 AM)
i am currently talking to a friend who has a plot of land empty for agriculture.

will provide more update later... biggrin.gif
*
ehzz....i tot u oredi got land geh? More land shocking.gif rclxms.gif
mamba
post May 26 2008, 09:36 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ May 24 2008, 11:23 AM)
200 grams earthworms... you might as well just go and catch them ^^ your garden earthworm will work too. I has personally did it, and i see them eating my shredded office paper like mad, I know that because after one day the garden earthworms moved into my worm bin, i seen lots of bite size(worm bite size) paper bit all over the worm bin, it means that they starting to eat my bedding as soon as them moved in!

What is in your mind to to earthworm farming aka vermiculture? for the worm or for the compost?

I saw a local shop selling worm compost for RM6 per 1/2 kg package O.o expensive! Thanks to these people who pioneer into the market, next time when we established our worm farm and we can start selling out compost at discounted price!
*
compost! biggrin.gif

I dont have to wait for compost to "multiply" tongue.gif

IINM, the worm that they use in vermiculture one is redworm(Lumbricus Rebellus). Can we get it around our garden?
FlamingIT
post May 27 2008, 02:30 AM

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i interested in chinchillas farm...

any1 got jalan?

rexis
post May 27 2008, 09:06 AM

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QUOTE(mamba @ May 26 2008, 09:36 PM)
compost! biggrin.gif

I dont have to wait for compost to "multiply" tongue.gif

IINM, the worm that they use in vermiculture one is redworm(Lumbricus Rebellus). Can we get it around our garden?
*
That is they being particular with the "red worm".

Redworms, either Eisenia foetida or Lumbricus rubellus, neither of them are native worms of malaysia, hence most likely you cant find them in your garden. What i am trying to say is, you can use your garden worm, ie, normal regular common cacing, for your worm box too.
mamba
post May 27 2008, 09:46 AM

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Okies..

I've seen the one they use in vermiculture, quite big and long!

The farmer said he paid Orang Asli to find them in the forest.

Will do as u said, Malaysia cacing Boleh also! tongue.gif
rexis
post May 27 2008, 10:22 AM

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QUOTE(mamba @ May 27 2008, 09:46 AM)
Okies..

I've seen the one they use in vermiculture, quite big and long!

The farmer said he paid Orang Asli to find them in the forest.

Will do as u said, Malaysia cacing Boleh also! tongue.gif
*
Now.... tell me how can I find this farmer ^^

Local worms are recommended because as a "bumiputera"(native) cacing:
- it will not cause any ecological issue like displacing native earthworm
- it will adapt to the local climate
- locally available
also:
- you can bring them up like red worms, market them as a more capable earthworm and get a quick buck from early emerging market.
KELVINHENG
post May 27 2008, 11:39 AM

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Good day to all members!!!

There will be a seminar at Selayang Mall on Swiftlet Ecology PARK Krai in Selayang Mall, level 4, on

31st may 2008 and 1st June 2008, Time 2pm to 5pm

Admission RM 98.00 inclusive of 2 swiftlet cd ( External and Internal)
High Tea will be serve.

Interested Please call :

016-3063 619 Kelvin Heng

or log in into
www.pearlnest.com


Added on June 1, 2008, 9:35 pmGood day to all members!!!

There will be a seminar at Selayang Mall on Swiftlet Ecology PARK Krai 2 in Selayang Mall, level 4, on

7th June and 8th June 2008, Time 2pm to 5pm

Admission RM 98.00 inclusive of 2 swiftlet cd ( External and Internal)
High Tea will be serve.

Interested Please call :

016-3063 619 Kelvin Heng

or log in into
www.pearlnest.com


This post has been edited by KELVINHENG: Jun 1 2008, 09:35 PM
kenredztom
post Jun 5 2008, 04:56 PM

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rclxub.gif anyone that can pass me some pointers on leech cultivation? any sample business plan?

FlamingIT
post Jun 19 2008, 11:56 PM

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QUOTE(kenredztom @ Jun 5 2008, 04:56 PM)
rclxub.gif anyone that can pass me some pointers on leech cultivation? any sample business plan?
*
leech good!!

japan use to do facial.. correct?

btw

ROTI JOHN u doing cacing tanah?

interested here

when can pay a visit?
rexis
post Jun 20 2008, 08:47 AM

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ROTI JOHN is into vermiculture, you can refer to him.

Pros and cons up and down of earthworm and earthworm poo has been well described in this thread, hopefully you find the reading useful.

Note that if you able to produce high quality worm compost with vermiculture, it is quite a ready market out there!

Meanwhile, I am still looking to rent some cheap property to carry out my projects.

Should you be interested about further details, go thru my siggy smile.gif

This post has been edited by rexis: Jun 20 2008, 08:56 AM
mazda626
post Jul 1 2008, 01:17 AM

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Hi there.......i am newbie here but always following the tread since page 1. Need some tips where to have a course about arowana biz ? Have check with Unit Ikan Perhiasan in Perak but no reply till todate. Hope all the agro 'sifu' willing to assist. I have start my own but just a "backyard scale" in fibertank since 6 mths ago.
rexis
post Jul 1 2008, 11:10 AM

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QUOTE(mazda626 @ Jul 1 2008, 01:17 AM)
Hi there.......i am newbie here but always following the tread since page 1. Need some tips where to have a course about arowana biz ? Have check with Unit Ikan Perhiasan in Perak but no reply till todate. Hope all the agro 'sifu' willing to assist. I have start my own but just a "backyard scale" in fibertank since 6 mths ago.
*
Perhaps I can try to look around my agroworld magazine library for any arowana or exotic fish breeding? I think I seen a few articles before but not too sure if they are in details.

Get back to u soon.
Michael J.
post Jul 1 2008, 05:25 PM

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Which type of arowana you're planning to breed? As far as I know, Golden Aros need to have CITES certification and permit to rear, breed, and trade them. Silver and Pearls still do not require CITES documents.

I have a suggestion: Why not try applying for a job with Qian Hu or Xian Leng? Both of them have permission to breed arowanas, and both of them are the experts in their fields. Don't need to apply as breeder, even just a normal assistant also can de. But do lots of PR and show lots of interest. Apart from that, there are a number of great books about breeding arowanas that you can get from MPH or Amazon.
mazda626
post Jul 2 2008, 02:24 AM

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Hi thanks Bro Rexis. FYI i have ask a help/assistance from Gov for leaseland for earthpond purposes but they reply that i must have a course cert. 4 it. Checking highlow for the course but no avail.

Mike, i am afraid both farms unable to pay me ha ha ha...for friendship sake, i have pretty Okay daytime job he he he . Abt the permit that can be obtain in near future. basically there are so many good breeders around as well BUT keeping low profile, i just need a little secret trade in terms of technical aspect thanks bro.....remember brother ParaOptical saying....ACTION.
Michael J.
post Jul 2 2008, 04:48 PM

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Mmm... I asked Jabatan Perikanan before about courses and training etc., and they said they could arrange for it should there be a sizeable number of participants. But "sizeable" here was about 30 people.... that, was insane.

Yea... there are a number of really good aro breeders. I know some of them too. But if you're just breeding for the sake of breeding, then that's fine la... Just as long as you keep a very low profile. CITES is very dangerous man... Not long ago, a guy in the orchid trade got arrested for possesing and breeding wild Paphiopedilum orchids (Slipper Orchids) that had been in his family for more than 50 years (before CITES was even enforced). The arguement CITES officers had were he could not prove that the internationally protected plant had been in his family's possesion for 50 years, and that he had no permit to keep, breed, or trade the plants. They took everything, put him in jail for 2 months, and fined him about 5 thousand dollars.

Maybe this would be a good time to bring up what CITES really is... CITES is short for Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species. Malaysia is a member of this international convention too. Now the laws governing CITES is extremely complex and few lawyers can understand and interpret the laws. But generally, the law forbids the trade in any part of the endangered species listed. And by trade, it does not just refer to the buying and selling of the species, but also the movement and relocation of these species from their original habitat. If you have CITES certified species, and you plan on breeding and propagating the species, then it is fine according to CITES law, as long as you do not trade them, i.e. exchange, sell, relocate, or even release back into the former habitat.

So anyone planning on doing an agrobusiness related to such species, please be aware about this, especially orchids which are native to Malaysia. They may be common around where we stay, but they could be listed under CITES too.

I used to breed betta sp. (Fighting Fish), and I especially loved breeding the wild types. But after finding out that many of those I had were CITES redlisted, I passed them on to certified breeders. The hammer has not fallen on betta breeders, especially those breeding wild types, but if CITES gets a whiff of this, they'll be all over us. So in a nutshell, just be careful if you intend on breeding endangered species.
mazda626
post Jul 2 2008, 10:23 PM

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Thanks bro mike, really appreciated the infor & knowledge....


Added on July 2, 2008, 10:44 pm
QUOTE(mazda626 @ Jul 2 2008, 10:23 PM)
Thanks bro mike, really appreciated the infor & knowledge....
*
Additional information :


http://www.cites.org/common/reg/cb/malaysia.html

Senarai reg arowana breeders in Mlaysia.

This post has been edited by mazda626: Jul 2 2008, 10:44 PM
ah_suknat
post Jul 3 2008, 07:08 PM

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hi guys I am new to this thread. smile.gif

I want to ask what is the most lucrative products these days? or what will be the hot product in the future?

I am going to move into rural area in the next 2 years, my father is a farmer now, growing vegetables. smile.gif I am now working in UK, save enough money to buy some lands, planning to change my career as a farmer as well. tongue.gif

I am now thinking of doing swiftlets farming, poultry and goats herding. any other ideas? hmm.gif

oh btw the place that I am going to move into is in Ranau Sabah, close to Mt Kinabalu. smile.gif most of the people there are farmers as well.
mazda626
post Jul 4 2008, 12:56 AM

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QUOTE(ah_suknat @ Jul 3 2008, 07:08 PM)
hi guys I am new to this thread. smile.gif

I want to ask what is the most lucrative products these days? or what will be the hot product in the future?

I am going to move into rural area in the next 2 years, my father is a farmer now, growing vegetables. smile.gif I am now working in UK, save enough money to buy some lands, planning to change my career as a farmer as well. tongue.gif

I am now thinking of doing swiftlets farming, poultry and goats herding. any other ideas?  hmm.gif

oh btw the place that I am going to move into is in Ranau Sabah, close to Mt Kinabalu. smile.gif most of the people there are farmers as well.
*
Hi there, Ranau Sabah is a highland smaltown with cold weather beb. If U experienced Swansea then U should know......if U from Sandakan going to KK via inland transit then Ranau will be at your right hand side, snake road, nice view of MT Kinabalu especially around 6am till 11am. After 11am mist will covering your view. Nice people and nice town to reside, trust me. KK to Ranau by road abt 2 hrs. From Sandakan to Ranau abt 5 hrs.

Ranau suitable for = All type flowers, rose flowers, apple, orchids. My friend doing well with "kobis", hotel or chalet biz.....i am sure U will doing U millions in Ranau at no time as long as there are "action".
ah_suknat
post Jul 4 2008, 02:53 AM

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hi mazda626, you'r sabahan too?

Yeah I know Ranau quite well, my kampung is in Kundasang smile.gif just that I grew up in KK.

btw I am a dude. biggrin.gif

resort biz cost millions sweat.gif bed and breakfast may be possible. smile.gif
mazda626
post Jul 6 2008, 02:13 AM

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Hi,

Seems like balik kg ha ha ha ha. Then i suggest U should venture into grape planting scheme or apple geng......just innovate here & there. Example those day people (7 yrs ago, taukeh's of pond) always tell me kelisa CANNOT breed in bare concrete tank or fibre tank but FFRM in Melaka had done it successfully at 1st attempt. Agrobiz need innovation, "crazy ideas" and something like that. I guess we need to send our national fresh udang galah or Tilapia merah to UK via airfreight in bulk beb...ha ha ha ha. Yeah, born in Sandakan but residing in KL abt 15 years....green posture...

Regards.


Added on July 10, 2008, 1:03 amBro Rexis

Any tips for me to have the course ? thanks in billions...


cheers


This post has been edited by mazda626: Jul 10 2008, 01:03 AM
amirbashah
post Jul 10 2008, 02:15 PM

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Hi guys, I haven't check this thread for a long time. By the way, check out my gaharu thread. Hopefully you guys would be interested to start this business smile.gif
rexis
post Jul 10 2008, 05:46 PM

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amirbashah,
its good to see you having something kicking and running there! Just remember, passion and perseverance. I seen your thread in FBI. Yaya, jumlah, berkebun, Janganlah asyik jam tiap tiap pagi aja.

ah_suknat,
hi! I am KK chai, Ranau is a nice place to stay, very few Sabahan as far sighted as you, most of them choose to chasing traffics in big city. Ended up trapped in the concrete forest, sth like myself.

There is a few things you need to pay attention to if you are farming in Sabah.
- The local demand is lower compare to City like KL, Peneng, Singapore.
- The big players there mostly large plantations with cash crops.

For a low demand market, it is unwise to plant large area of same crop, like 20 acres of banana or cabbage. Coz any oversupply means sending your money to landfill. Unless you are able to secure oversea demand like exporting them, but to meet international standard, more cost for packaging, QC, etc. Hence it is very important to diversify your crops, like plant at least a couple of high demand vege(like cabbage, sawi, chili, gourds, corn etc). But it is also very important to keep a sensible volume so you can directly sell them to a wholeseller. Of course, open up a stall in Gaya street will cut the middleman, but you cant sell all your vege like that isnt it?

Thou if possible, cut the middle man completely by opening up a dedicated vege shop in KK, do one dragon business, KK is a small place to pass info around so if you able to provide good vege, royal customers will come.

Since your dad is a farmer, it is even easier for you to kick start! Just listen to the old man biggrin.gif

If your land is big enough, like >100 acres, then you can start thinking about cash crop, like cocoa, oil palm, etc.

mazda626,
Sori, not yet hv time to dig thru my library, perhaps you can find something here.

For your info, Arowana breeding business easily involved a couple of millions, other then the cost to purchase the daddy and mummy fish, the quipments, and also the security needed to protect your investment.

You aint going to let your arowana grow up in a mud pool aren't you?

But this is for a large scale breeder, I have a friend which her bf is breeding aquarium fish at a rented apartment. Of course you can up start as small business, all trees came from a tiny seed.

None the less, once you identify your direction, hold up on it!

This post has been edited by rexis: Jul 10 2008, 05:47 PM
Darkus
post Jul 11 2008, 10:10 AM

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Help!

oy, havent checked this site since ages, i was too busy handling the farm that i forgotten about this page till this day, because... my company is sending me 10,000 pieces (2-3inches) of Marbled Goby/Soon Hock/Ketutu fry! shocking.gif

Ive been farming Australian Barramundi and Australian Jade perch and so far without any major problem, but now theyre sending in the Soon Hock for a trial. Ten thousand of them! And to be honest, i know very little on how to farm these fishes. Ive read Rexus general post on soon hock, and a few other reading materials. But im not confident enough that i can handle those fishes. doh.gif

Please, if any have any advise and can offer guidance, mail me at far1_ed1@hotmail.com, or reply on this thread.

Oh yeah, latest report on the farm, 25mT Australian Barramundi and 15mT Jade Perch was generated from this farm up to date.

Thanks all!
rexis
post Jul 11 2008, 12:01 PM

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Darkus, fyi, TS ParaOptical is keeping a pond or two of Soon Hock, perhaps he can offer you some guidance.

A quick comment, soon hock is predatory fish, it is very important to keep them well fed or they will start chewing each other. If I am not mistaken, you need to feed the fry some protozoa and then when they grow up big enough, you need to try to make they get used to fish feed. They prefer to eat living thing like small prawn, tadpoles, cacing, insect, etc.

Australian Barramundi = siakap? First time seen Jade perch, looks like huge supply of omega3. Perhaps you can enrich us with some fish info.

Cough, its Rexis.

This post has been edited by rexis: Jul 14 2008, 10:53 AM
ah_suknat
post Jul 11 2008, 06:01 PM

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thanks rexis for the advice, but for now cash is limited, I am not a big time farmer, just a small fry biggrin.gif

I am seriously thinking of doing poultry farm yarding style, you know like the normal kandang and grass for chickens to ponder around. I think there should be a market for healthy chicken meat, people are more health and animal welfare conscious now adays, they don't want to eat the growth hormone injected chicken grew up cruely in tight space factory.

its impossible for me to do organic or 100 percent free range due to limited of land space, I only got half an acre of land to build the farm at the moment to do it small scale, when I know the selok belok how to rise the chickens and demand increasing I will buy a bigger land with more chicken smile.gif , where you study? me ex tshung tsin biggrin.gif
Darkus
post Jul 11 2008, 08:49 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Jul 11 2008, 12:01 PM)
Darkus, fyi, TS is keeping a pond or two of Soon Hock, perhaps he can offer you some guidance.

A quick comment, soon hock is predatory fish, it is very important to keep them well fed or they will start chewing each other. If I am not mistaken, you need to feed the fry some protozoa and then when they grow up big enough, you need to try to make they get used to fish feed. They prefer to eat living thing like small prawn, tadpoles, cacing, insect, etc.

Australian Barramundi = siakap? First time seen Jade perch, looks like huge supply of omega3. Perhaps you can enrich us with some fish info.

Cough, its Rexis.
*
Apologise for the typo Rexis,

Ill be sure to PM TS after this.

Well, i am rearing Barramundi and they are predators (very territorial) out in the sea, but once introduced into a closed up enviroment, it is found that these instinct were set aside due to smaller territory/spaces. I hope these soon hocks would do the same.

Also, my farm is using Pellets as fish feed im very worried in regards to supplying the soon hocks with live feed or other uncooked organics as their main feed. My farm is a closed circulated, the effect to the water quality would be too great i believe. ANy other feed has to be tested for any GMOs and others (disease/parrasites/etc) before is can be introduced to the farms modules.

FYI:

Australian Barramundi = Lates calcarifer, same Genus as the native Siakap/Kakap but different specie name (although they look the same to me) Its just Branding of the fish as the corporates wants them to be different than the local fish (the price too... RM25/Kg!!!!)

Jade Perch

Can try this allyouwanttofindoutaboutjadeperch link ==> "Jade Perch"

Yeah the Omega 3 is scientifically proven to have at least 3 times greater content than Salmon, and i wont deny it cause its been tested in Mardi and Sirim Labs. Mardi is even looking into converting those Om3 into tablets as health additives. And guess what... for now we are the only farm in malaysia growing and marketing it. There are other farms like us in west malaysia (Sepang; joint with LKIM and Datuk K/ Kuala Kubu Baru; wholly owned by Protech Yu[a Fish Protech Subsidiary]) also in Brunei. They opened up a farm in China (until the PRC opened up the system upsde down and copied the tech) but theyre still new and are not marketing the Jades commercially like our farm here. You can find my fishes in all Carre4 stores in Klang Valley both barra and jades.


Added on July 11, 2008, 8:56 pmErm, who is TS again?

This post has been edited by Darkus: Jul 11 2008, 08:56 PM
rexis
post Jul 14 2008, 11:08 AM

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Edited and added my previous post, I am sure ParaOptical is interested to talk to you.

Branding of the fish... a while ago I heard about a fish farm producing frozen red talapia in vacuum package and brand it as cherry fish. It seem like most people process talapia into fish fillet now.

- - -

Ah yes, in Sabah the "maize" chicken is very popular and highly priced, my grandmother is raising her own maize chicken. As the name implies, the chicken diet mainly made of maize aka corn.

In semenanjung here, whats popular is the "vege garden" chicken, which suppose to be chicken raised in the open rather then fully in cage. They cost is slightly cheaper then maize chicken in Sabah, also considered high price, and do not affect by the ceiling price issued by gov as they are not regular farm fed chicken.

I can't see any vege garden chicken available in Sabah, perhaps you can work some out smile.gif

Maize chicken: very fat, yellowish skin, unique delicious chicken flavor, and tough meat texture.
Garden chicken: slightly fat, light yellow skin, chicken flavor without the farm chicken stink, tough meat texture.
Farm chicken: fat, pale skin, meat is soft and smelly.

This post has been edited by rexis: Jul 14 2008, 12:04 PM
TSParaOpticaL
post Jul 14 2008, 12:10 PM

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Darkus : which farm are you doing ? Where is your farm ?

are you rearing in ponds or RAS ?

Darkus
post Jul 14 2008, 03:04 PM

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QUOTE(ParaOpticaL @ Jul 14 2008, 12:10 PM)
Darkus : which farm are you doing ? Where is your farm ?

are you rearing in ponds or RAS ?
*
Oh! TS=Thread Starter=Paraoptical rclxms.gif
Just figured it out tongue.gif

The farm im managing is located in Sejingkat, Kuching, Sarawak.

The tech used are from Australia, a tech provider called 'Fish Protech', google it and youll find out a lot about it smile.gif

Para, i heard that you yourself have experience in rearing Soon Hock, how did you manage its juvenile stage? My new batch will be around 2-3inches, how long do you think theyll grow to marketable size? whats their FCR with the feed you are giving them? what did you feed them with anyway? We at the farm are currently using feed pallets for fry till marketable size. Will they strive best without or with organics feed such as mealworms/bloodworms/small fishes/small prawns? Whats the feed proportion u give for each fry/fish?
mazda626
post Jul 14 2008, 11:42 PM

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Thanks bro Rexis . Yes, jab ikan hiasan guy also telling me.

cheers,
auchenmiao
post Jul 15 2008, 10:38 AM

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Greetings to all the Si Fu out there nice to meet you all. I’m from the design world and very interested in doing wormy business, but don’t know where to start and where to look for buyers haha any suggestion?
rexis
post Jul 15 2008, 10:40 AM

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np, Mazda626

Darkus, from the info I hv here(this is what I remember, i left the article at home):

Soon hock is carnivorous fish and they seldom swim around and not very fierce unless prey gets near them, they prefer to stay idle in cracks or bottom of the water. They can grow up to 60cm at 5-6kg.

Fry at 5 cm long should be fed with redworm and minced fish meal, this is to make them slowly adapt to artificial fish feed. Slowly apply sink type fish feed and monitor the feeding condition.

Survival rate can be expected to be around 80%.

Soon hock took about 1 year to reach marketable size ie 600gm. From other sources it mentioned that for best quality keep on feeding the soonhock for 2 years so they will have time to develop their tenderness sth like tat...

The article also mentioned about feeding method on other size soon hock and how many months to go into next stage, but since 5cm is roughly the size of the fish u get, heres the first hand info. If i hv time I will edit my post.

- - -

auchenmiao, what worm are you intended to breed? And what do you know and from where you heard about worm? Just trying to get an idea where to start.

Anyway, I believe this thread had covered several issues about virmiculture. Look for it.

This post has been edited by rexis: Jul 15 2008, 10:45 AM
reconer
post Jul 15 2008, 11:34 PM

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umm hey, any one know how to rear prawns? anyone giving out any classes? i need a starting point
Darkus
post Jul 16 2008, 12:10 AM

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Appreciatte that info bro Rexis, been reading some of the old posts, i think im gona keep up my soonhock updates here in the forum by providing info and pics as soon as i receive them. Our fry suppliers from Singapore is actually planning to let us grow the fish for them and then buy em all out at an ex-farm price. From what ive heard theyre getting the fry at around 0.40SD, most probly buying them back at 30.00SD/Kg. Although only if the farm succeed in growing them till marketable size. How are the prices of this fish nowadays?

Anyway, how much of bloodworms/fishmeals are we talking about for each fry?
mazda626
post Jul 16 2008, 11:25 PM

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Just to share something here after "R & D".

.............."30 years ago village folks discovered arowana (Msian Golden & Blood Red) in Kuala Selangor, however due to rapid development and factory build-up at the surrounding area without scientific explaination - the species simply disappeared leaving Johor & Perak the most productive soil in captive breeding arowana biz till todate"........





rexis
post Jul 18 2008, 03:34 PM

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QUOTE(mazda626 @ Jul 16 2008, 11:25 PM)
Just to share something here after "R & D".

.............."30 years ago village folks discovered arowana (Msian Golden & Blood Red) in Kuala Selangor, however due to rapid development and factory build-up at the surrounding area without scientific explaination - the species simply disappeared leaving Johor & Perak the most productive soil in captive breeding arowana biz till todate"........
*
heh, they are not simply "disappeared", people would not let such living gold bars swimming freely unattended.

Its a sad thing thou that wild Arowana has lost their natural habitat forever.

This post has been edited by rexis: Jul 18 2008, 03:37 PM
mazda626
post Jul 19 2008, 12:51 AM

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Infor gathered during 'R&D' visits to various area in Selangor.

Based on Prikanan, Putrajaya - there are no suitable soil in Selangor. pH might be okay but not "TDS" ; by definition -Total dissolved solids (often abbreviated TDS) is an expression for the combined content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid which are present in a molecular, ionized or micro-granular (colloidal sol) suspended form.

In arowana breeding biz TDS simply critical in many places. UNLESS someone outthere found it in Selangor soil quitely. Therefore, Perak & Johor simply popular choice for Kelisa earthpond type. Hulu Langat once simply potential but 1 registered company 7 years ago bungkus because waited 6 years (with broodstock age above 5 years) fails to produced any. Infact water pH testing comprises 3 layer to be exact ; surface, mid & bottom of the pond.

Sifus or anyone please correct me ya, if my 'r&d' facts are wrong.
ah_suknat
post Jul 19 2008, 01:17 AM

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any1 doing poultry farming ah? chickens, ducks or goats?

what is the market price for a free range chicken or ayam kampung now?
rexis
post Jul 19 2008, 09:14 AM

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QUOTE(ah_suknat @ Jul 19 2008, 01:17 AM)
any1 doing poultry farming ah? chickens, ducks or goats?

what is the market price for a free range chicken or ayam kampung now?
*
Market price? Easy, just visit the pasar pagi for the chicken stall, and then get a hint my calculating their difference with farm chicken in term of percentage. Then you will get an idea how much more you can get with kampong gai.


Added on August 8, 2008, 8:36 amFor whoever interested in agriculture business, please do pay a visit to MAHA 2008

Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang
11th-13th Aug 2008
10am-7pm

Refer official site for details.

This post has been edited by rexis: Aug 8 2008, 08:36 AM
ah_suknat
post Aug 21 2008, 04:28 PM

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why no one update this thread 1? sad.gif

I just bought half acre of land here in sabah, will build my house there, and use the remaining land for agriculture and aquaculture business. might increase to 1 acre of land (buying the next half acre land).

I plan to do ayam kampung, jambu batu and tilapia farming, integrated system.

any sifu can give advice? totally newbie here. thanks!
rexis
post Aug 21 2008, 04:31 PM

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QUOTE(ah_suknat @ Aug 21 2008, 04:28 PM)
why no one update this thread 1? sad.gif

I just bought half acre of land here in sabah, will build my house there, and use the remaining land for agriculture and aquaculture business. might increase to 1 acre of land (buying the next half acre land).

I plan to do ayam kampung, jambu batu and tilapia farming, integrated system.

any sifu can give advice? totally newbie here. thanks!
*
How much did you bought the 1/2 acre of land for?
ah_suknat
post Aug 21 2008, 06:28 PM

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45k! sad.gif

in Ranau somemore.
rexis
post Aug 22 2008, 10:30 AM

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QUOTE(ah_suknat @ Aug 21 2008, 06:28 PM)
45k! sad.gif

in Ranau somemore.
*
It depends, how is the road access, land condition, and the surrounding. 45k for a ranau land with cool weather, still ok i guess.

Here are the suggestions:
- At your own land, build some permenant structure like chicken hatchery, goat barn, mushroom hut, etc. Or if you prefered, dig some pond.
- At your own land, plant long term fruit trees like durian, rambutan, mangosteen, langsat, or if you prefered, jambu batu. Take note not to plant large tree too near your buildings like house, their root systems will damage flooring over years. Plant it at least 10m away. Small shrubs like jambu doesn't matter much thou.
- At your nearby land, they are not yours, but if they are vacant, you can plan to work out some vegetable farms there! Or use it as nursery for seedlings. Or anything temporary and can be easily moved away.

IMHO, 1/2 acre of land is not big enough for any commercial fruit tree farming, ie, do not meet scale of economy. Perhaps a high density chicken factory can produce a meaningful production to yield profit.

If you are not planning any serious income for your farm too soon. You can try to learn organic farming. It is a time consuming job. Plus, you have to look at the history of your land for organic farming, was it a farm or a natural forest before? Or was it just a vacant land? This is very important to understand how good the local ecosystem can sustain an organic farm.

The ideal should be some free range chicken under jambu batu trees, they help you out in weeding and manuring, while your jambu batu producing some nice organic fruits. Or you can think about a duck pond with jambu batu trees beside.

Then this will be more like a leisure personal garden which occasionally yield some side income.

If your aim is to get income or profit as soon as possible, then beside everything mentioned above, you utilize all the available land nearby for short term vegetable cropping, there is always demand for vegetable even thou you are bond to the low market price of vege crops. Short term fruits are recommended too like melons, etc.

Since your house is just next to it, there is a galaxy of activities you can do.

Anything particular in your mind before I start shooting into void?

This post has been edited by rexis: Aug 22 2008, 10:30 AM
ah_suknat
post Aug 22 2008, 05:05 PM

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QUOTE(rexis @ Aug 22 2008, 10:30 AM)
It depends, how is the road access, land condition, and the surrounding. 45k for a ranau land with cool weather, still ok i guess.

Here are the suggestions:
- At your own land, build some permenant structure like chicken hatchery, goat barn, mushroom hut, etc. Or if you prefered, dig some pond.
- At your own land, plant long term fruit trees like durian, rambutan, mangosteen, langsat, or if you prefered, jambu batu. Take note not to plant large tree too near your buildings like house, their root systems will damage flooring over years. Plant it at least 10m away. Small shrubs like jambu doesn't matter much thou.
- At your nearby land, they are not yours, but if they are vacant, you can plan to work out some vegetable farms there! Or use it as nursery for seedlings. Or anything temporary and can be easily moved away.

IMHO, 1/2 acre of land is not big enough for any commercial fruit tree farming, ie, do not meet scale of economy. Perhaps a high density chicken factory can produce a meaningful production to yield profit.

If you are not planning any serious income for your farm too soon. You can try to learn organic farming. It is a time consuming job. Plus, you have to look at the history of your land for organic farming, was it a farm or a natural forest before? Or was it just a vacant land? This is very important to understand how good the local ecosystem can sustain an organic farm.

The ideal should be some free range chicken under jambu batu trees, they help you out in weeding and manuring, while your jambu batu producing some nice organic fruits. Or you can think about a duck pond with jambu batu trees beside.

Then this will be more like a leisure personal garden which occasionally yield some side income.

If your aim is to get income or profit as soon as possible, then beside everything mentioned above, you utilize all the available land nearby for short term vegetable cropping, there is always demand for vegetable even thou you are bond to the low market price of vege crops. Short term fruits are recommended too like melons, etc.

Since your house is just next to it, there is a galaxy of activities you can do.

Anything particular in your mind before I start shooting into void?
*
thanks rexis for the insight!

the land is very well accessible, flat land. it had been vacant for about 8 years, just finished clearing the land, waiting for suitable time to burn the branches and grass. just behind of the land is a paddy field so water supply is available too.

luckily the previous owner had already digged 3 fish ponds about the size of roughly 10 x 7 each at the very back of the land, so i can rear some fish there. since i want to rear chicken as well, i will build the chicken pens above the ponds so the manure will drop to feed the fish. yeah i plan to rear a mixture of broiler chickens and ayam kampung, they will roam free and fertilize my jambu trees. i don't like the idea of high density chicken factory because it's cruel and there are already lots of competitors out there. i am targeting the niche market for organic free range chickens.

about the plants i am still not very sure whether to plant jambu or anything else, that's my dad's idea as he said there is a growing demand for it and it can be harvested all year round.

so in conclusion, you can see my plan is,
1)chicken
2)fish
3)jambu
integrated system so they help each other to grow.

my concern is how much i can do, like how many fish and chickens i can rear, and how many trees i can plant. i am trying to buy the next plot of land to increase the size so i can do more, but the price is so expensive, i ask yesterday and the owner say 60k for the same size of land that i bought just next to it!

chicken would be my main income since i can sell higher than the price of normal factory chickens.

is tilapia a good choice? or a mixture of tilapia and keli, from this thread i heard some say soon hock and arowana but totally no idea how.

so what do you think? if i back to kk next year may be we can meet. biggrin.gif
rexis
post Aug 25 2008, 08:48 AM

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You are not in KK? When do you plan to move back? That is so nice to move back i want to go back tooo...

Looking forward to visit your happy chicken!

Here is some density guide for kampung chicken:

For indoor intensive chicken pen:
- all chicken house indoor in a closed system for easy management.
- 12 chicken per m²
- Food and water is provided all day

For semi intensive chicken pen:
- other then the indoor pen, the is a fenced area for the chicken to move around for some sunlight and fresh air.
- chicken will return to sleep in pen at night.
- in pen 18 chicken per m²
- Food and water is provided all day

For free range chicken:
- the lowest density of all plan and the happiest chicken of all.
- 10,000 chicken per ha, which translate into about 4,000 chicken per acre of 2,000 chicken per half acre.
- chicken will return to sleep in pen at night.
- in pen 18 chicken per m²
- Food and water is provided all day in the pen

You should get ready your supplier of choice for starter, grower, and finisher.

Oh yes, since you mentioned the place has ponds and has been idle for 8 years, I guess you should do some preventive measure just in case some anaconda gulps all your chicks! My father has told me stories about how they trap anacondas back there, a big steel barrel buried in ground with the top part open and same level with the ground, bait like chicken or as my father mentioned "fat meat" is placed at the bottom of the barrel. Snakes will be unable to climb up the smooth wall if they are full. Take note that anacondas are protected species in Malaysia.

For fish, I think for the small area you have, there is not practical to raise cheap fish like talapia, unless talapia fetch higher price in Sabah. You can consdier higher value fish like haluan.

If you have the cash, why not just get the other half acre of the land? Consider take loan or something. I am very very much sure that when you fully work out your current farm nicely there, your neighbour will hike the land price 100% to 120k. When you are not utilizing the land yet, build a barn and keep a few goats and let them roam the idle area for natural food, you won't need to pay too much attension to them, just some barn cleaning, and for that extra bit of organic fertilizer!

This post has been edited by rexis: Aug 25 2008, 08:58 AM
jcvstlys
post Sep 16 2008, 03:38 PM

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anyone can tell me where can i buy the today agriculture magazine?
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post Sep 23 2008, 10:15 AM

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QUOTE(jcvstlys @ Sep 16 2008, 03:38 PM)
anyone can tell me where can i buy the today agriculture magazine?
*
You can usually buy it in chinese magazine shop, but not Popular.

Theres a grocery shop in Sec 17 has it, its among the shops where many people have lunch there, Sg Long has it, it is a stationary shop, the magazine lorry at Sg Long also has it.
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Hi there, long time no reply here, I had started to rare tigerworm since last month. And i think the worm quite healthy there.Anyone interested can tell me, i will show you the pics..HEHE
poisonousair
post Sep 25 2008, 12:33 AM

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i'm really interested in doing agriculture biz..i wonder whether there's such a thing as agriculture trainee program? coz there's a lot of management trainee position for graduates, but nothing related to agriculture..learn&work and the same time get salary..kinda like trainee in MNCs...
amirbashah
post Sep 25 2008, 01:54 PM

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No one mention anything about lemongrass (serai) in this thread. In my opinion, it's a good business. First of all, you can do it as a part time job. Moreover the return is quite high (Around RM8k-RM10k per acre) and it only takes 6-8 months to grow. There's a lot of blog/website discussing about the topic. I'm planning to do it myself and will integrate it with my gaharu trees smile.gif

This post has been edited by amirbashah: Sep 25 2008, 02:09 PM
jcvstlys
post Sep 25 2008, 02:08 PM

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QUOTE(amirbashah @ Sep 25 2008, 01:54 PM)
No one mention anything about lemongrass (serai) in this thread. In my opinion, it's a good business. First of all, you can do it as a part time job. Moreover the return is quite high (Around RM8k-RM10k per acre) and it only takes 6-8 to grow. There's a lot of blog/website discussing about the topic. I'm planning to do it myself and will integrate it with my gaharu trees smile.gif
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6-8 what? 6-8 months?
amirbashah
post Sep 25 2008, 02:10 PM

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Yup, 6-8 months. My mistake smile.gif
jcvstlys
post Sep 25 2008, 02:25 PM

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how long does it take to regrow? another 6-8 months?
amirbashah
post Sep 25 2008, 03:30 PM

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Yup, you need at least 6 acres of land and you plant it in stages (so you can harvest it continuously every month). You first plant it on 1 acre and after 1 month you'll plant it on another acre so that you can harvest the lemon grass consistently every month.

This post has been edited by amirbashah: Sep 25 2008, 03:34 PM
ah_suknat
post Sep 25 2008, 05:10 PM

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or 1 acre divided into 6 lot tongue.gif
amirbashah
post Sep 25 2008, 05:17 PM

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QUOTE(ah_suknat @ Sep 25 2008, 05:10 PM)
or 1 acre divided into 6 lot tongue.gif
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You'll get around RM1k-RM2k per month. Not bad smile.gif
jcvstlys
post Sep 25 2008, 11:18 PM

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6 acre only earn 8-10k/month??that is profit or revenue?
amirbashah
post Sep 26 2008, 08:32 AM

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You can earn RM8k-RM10k per acre. Not 6 acre. NET PROFIT.
rexis
post Sep 30 2008, 08:41 AM

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QUOTE(ROTiJOHN @ Sep 23 2008, 01:13 PM)
Hi there, long time no reply here, I had started to rare tigerworm since last month. And i think the worm quite healthy there.Anyone interested can tell me, i will show you the pics..HEHE
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Just pump in the pic here biggrin.gif
pwleong
post Oct 5 2008, 12:00 AM

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QUOTE(amirbashah @ Sep 25 2008, 01:54 PM)
No one mention anything about lemongrass (serai) in this thread. In my opinion, it's a good business. First of all, you can do it as a part time job. Moreover the return is quite high (Around RM8k-RM10k per acre) and it only takes 6-8 months to grow. There's a lot of blog/website discussing about the topic. I'm planning to do it myself and will integrate it with my gaharu trees smile.gif
*
I have around 2-3 acres of land for planting.
At the moment, we have planted some serai for insect prevention in the organic farm. There are 2 types, 1 is for consumption and the other is for fragance.

Which type has better market ?
How to market them ?

bach88
post Oct 13 2008, 07:24 PM

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QUOTE(pwleong @ Oct 5 2008, 12:00 AM)
I have around 2-3 acres of land for planting.
At the moment, we have planted some serai for insect prevention in the organic farm. There are 2 types, 1 is for consumption and the other is for fragance.

Which type has better market ?
How to market them ?
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HI Friend,

you were saying you plant in organic farm, i just wonder what type of fertilizer and pesticides you using?
jcvstlys
post Oct 13 2008, 07:31 PM

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QUOTE(amirbashah @ Sep 26 2008, 08:32 AM)
You can earn RM8k-RM10k per acre. Not 6 acre. NET PROFIT.
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is it per month?
rexis
post Oct 20 2008, 09:18 AM

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QUOTE(jcvstlys @ Oct 13 2008, 07:31 PM)
is it per month?
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Fyi, normally we are looking at RM1k monthly for normal vege farming. More is of course possible, just that this is a figure for your reference to show that if your farming is efficient or not.
pwleong
post Oct 22 2008, 11:52 PM

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QUOTE(bach88 @ Oct 13 2008, 07:24 PM)
HI Friend,

you were saying you plant in organic farm, i just wonder what type of fertilizer and pesticides you using?
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It is not for commercial at the moment, just as insect repellant.
The fertilizer used is organic compose by Shimamoto method.

bach88
post Oct 23 2008, 10:08 AM

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QUOTE(pwleong @ Oct 22 2008, 11:52 PM)
It is not for commercial at the moment, just as insect repellant.
The fertilizer used is organic compose by Shimamoto method.
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I see. Seems that you still in trial stage. Am I right? Is the result from fertilizer and pesticide both positive? You got how many percent increase in production? How many percent reduced from being attacked by insect?
yehlai
post Oct 30 2008, 04:36 PM

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Hi guys, dont know where to post this. Im really sad now. Yesterday went for my 2nd interview for Palm Oil trader position in a EU company. I was one of the 2 finalist, but yesterday was nervous, i screw it sad.gif really sad, im doing good in the 1st interview, now i dint get the job sad.gif really sad.

This post has been edited by yehlai: Oct 30 2008, 04:37 PM
nern@h
post Nov 5 2008, 05:12 PM

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hi every1....jz wondering any1 using EM for their farm?
bach88
post Nov 17 2008, 10:05 AM

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QUOTE(nern@h @ Nov 5 2008, 05:12 PM)
hi every1....jz wondering any1 using EM for their farm?
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You want EM for what purpose? It is just basic cultivated bacteria, not that powerful actually

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