Dorper in Australia

I was in Dubbo to do Dorper selection.

A hidden dragon among the goats-by Raymond Tan

The house in the animal farm of TYC.

Adams (left) and wife Loh, each with a kid in their arms. Between them is their son Beldon, born in the Year of Goat in 2003 when the couple started their goat farm.

Adams Tang was born in the year of the Dragon and is supposed to have the characteristics of that celestial creature – lively, intellectual, energetic and excitable.

But over the years his character has morphed into that of a goat as he run his business with calmness, making decisions with delicate thoughts, strong creativity and perseverance, the way a goat person would do. There is no mystery behind this change – Adams is in the business of rearing goats and being so close to these animals it is little wonder that he is becoming a goat person.

However, he insisted that deep inside him he still had the character of a dragon – he is a hidden dragon among the goats.

Adams decided to go into goat farming big time in 2003 the year of the goat on an 80-acre piece of land at Mile 28 Oya Road in Sibu.

However, after one cycle of the Chinese zodiac, the 39-year-old, managed to develop only 40 acres of the land – still no mean feat as his farm TYC Goat &Livestock Sdn Bhd is possibly the biggest goat farm in the state.

Adams talked to The Borneo Post recently on how he would ride into the Goat Year and looked back at the challenges faced since he started. The burning question that just has to asked was why choose goat farming when there were so many other opportunities to choose from?

“It is the interest and passion that got me in and pushes me on,” he said.

He explained his family had been involved in livestock and poultry farming and believed his interest in goat farming stems from his childhood experience.

“There is sort of an ‘Animal Farm’ story in our family. My grandfather reared ducks and goats for a living. My uncles rear pigs and chickens. They sell eggs from the hens. My father once reared quails for eggs.”

Tang, who was only 27 when he started his farm initially reared 1000 goats for meat but soon ran into trouble.

He could not compete with the prices of imported mutton from Australia which was retailed at only over RM10 per kg while the cost of producing the meat at his farm was RM38 per kg.

Adams said geographical and weather factors were the cause especially the high humidity which caused the animals to fall sick often.

“But, for the Australians, they just need to put their animals on the green ranch; there is almost no cost involved. Maybe, their only cost is the slaughtering of the animals.”Going back to his drawing board, Adams decided to give up meat production and switched to dairy goat farming,

He said the transition took four years as he had to sell off the goats he reared for meat and replace them with the breed that produced more milk.

Now TYC Goat & Livestock Sdn Dhd is a full fledged dairy goat farm selling goat milk and its products, including goat milk soap, coconut pudding with goat milk, goat milk biscuit and goat milk ice cream.

While Adams takes care of the farm and milk production, his wife Loh Yu Yee manages the marketing of the milk and manufacturing of its products.

“We are doing well now. The locals have started accepting goat’s milk and milk products.” Adams admitted that it was a challenge selling goat milk locally as people in Sibu are not used to drinking the milk .

“They have a misconception that the taste is gamy – a flavour they imagine they cannot accept. But, that is totally wrong. Goat’s milk tastes like cow’s milk. Not only that, goat milk has more health benefits. That’s why most people in the world are drinking goat’s milk.” To overcame this challenge his company had to hold promotion campaigns to introduce goat milk and its products to locals.

“We needed to convince people. We deliver the milk to their doorsteps daily. Then, we make soap, pudding, biscuit and ice cream with the milk.”

Tang also invited groups to visit his farm and offered them goat milk. The young entrepreneur said his farm had always stuck to organic production and green management. For feeds to yield better quality milk, they mixed soya, corn, paddy wastes, sago and palm kernel cake.

“We ferment them before feeding them to goats.” Although TYC Goat & Livestock has turned to dairy farming it still sells mutton and live goats to locals.

“Our customers still come because our products are organic while Kampung folks bought our goats for slaughter during celebrations.”

After one cycle of the goat year Adams and his wife are eyeing wider markets for their products.

“We are set to expand our business to Kuching, Miri and Bintulu this year,” he said.

Will Adams expand his farm to the other 40 acres of his land?

Hopefully he would not need another cycle of the goat year to achieve that. In the meantime those who want to know more about goat milk and its products can contact Adams at 0168898264.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/02/21/a-hidden-dragon-among-the-goats/#ixzz3SLnmprQp

Mdm Hii Goat Farm in Bawang Assan

Newly established Mdm Hii goat farm located at Bawang Assan, Sibu. More than 200 boer goat were reared using intensive system. Beside goat they also rear cattle and deer.

Mdm Hii Goat Farm in Bawang Assan

Newly established Mdm Hii goat farm located at Bawang Assan, Sibu. More than 200 boer goat were reared using intensive system. Beside goat they also rear cattle and deer.

Mr Ngu Goat Farm

Mr Ngu goat farm situated at KM24, near Stapang, Sibu. He has more than 300 boer goat. His farm is impressive with 26 acres of planted napier grass.

Goat Pellet

Organic fertiliser - Goat pellet 

Goat Pellet

Organic fertiliser - Goat pellet 

Nature's Farm Introduces New Line of Chemical-free Soaps

By Yvonne Tuah, The Borneo Post

COMPLETELY NATURAL: Photo shows Nature’s Farm latest line of chemical-free liquid soaps and shampoos made with Nature’s Farm’s renowned goats milk as well as exotic, luxury oils.

KUCHING: Nature’s Farm Company (Nature’s Farm) unveils its latest line-up of liquid soaps that are completely free of chemicals and made with its renowned goats milk infused with exotic, luxury oils.

This new line-up of soaps come in three forms, namely moisturising hand soap, luxurious body shampoo and luxurious hair shampoo.

Principal directors of Nature’s Farm Cassandra Havelock and Fred Lee told The Borneo Post that the idea of developing these liquid skin solutions came from the realisation that the skin – the body’s largest living organ – absorbs twice as much toxic chemicals compared with intestines.

Lee highlighted, “We found that a lot of soaps in retail stores use synthetic chemicals surfactants and foam boosters such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

“While these products still clean the body, it also strips the body off its natural oil which will make the skin dry.”

Citing several researches, Lee also noted that a lot of these chemicals can be harmful to the body, in a long run.

Additionally, Cassandra said, “We are aware that a lot of people are now very health conscious. They get worried about what they put in their skin so we came up with this chemical-free product.”

These latest line-up of liquid soaps and shampoos are formulated and produced with highly beneficial plant-based biodegradable surfactants, cleansers and moisturisers from Karite Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Argan Oil and Tamanu Oil.

In addition to the beneficial oils listed, Nature’s Farm also infuses goats milk yoghurt which is sourced from the company’s renowned dairy goats.

True to its chemical-free philosophy, this latest range of liquid soaps and shampoos do not use chemical emulsifiers. While there may be slight separation of natural ingredients during storage, the product quality and efficacy are not affected.

Cassandra and Lee also outlined that these liquid soaps and shampoos are ideal for those with sensitive skin such as Cancer patients, elderly people as well as babies.

On the products, Nature’s Farm’s liquid hand soap balances the cleaning power of coconut oil with the moisturising property of olive oil.

In addition, its body shampoo is made from Shea butter and extra Virgin Olive Oil which make it suitable for any sensitive problematic skin.

Cassandra revealed that Nature’s Farm is looking to expand its shampoo line to cater to various hair types.

Currently, its shampoo line caters to basic hair needs such has hydration and healing properties. This line-up of shampoo consists of Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil and Virgin Olive Oil.

For further information, call 082-255169, 012-8738900 (Lee), 017-2286696 (Cassandra) or email biosynergy.cassandra@gmail.com or biosynergy.lee@gmail.com.

Alternatively, interested parties may purchase Nature’s Farm’s soaps and shampoos at New Earth Organic at Jalan Padungan.

Additionally, Nature’s Farm also distributes its products across Sarawak.

Interested parties may call its distributor for Miri and Bintulu at 016-8784596 (Chang) for more information.

PPNT Turns Goat Manure Into Organic Fertiliser

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 11 (Bernama) -- The Terengganu Farmers Oganisation's (PPNT) centre in Kampung Pelam in Hulu Terengganu district processes two to three metric tonnes of goat manure a day into organic fertiliser.

General Manager Sawalludin Ahmad told Bernama here the centre was set up two years ago at a cost of about RM10,000, and recently sold 32 tonnes of the fertiliser to 21 area farmers organisations in Kelantan through the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry.

PPNT uses the fertiliser for its 200 ha. oil palm plantation in Kampung Pelam and may also use it for its 33.5 ha. vitato farm to be set up in Ru Tapai in Setiu district.

Sawalludin said PPNT's 1,000 goats produce some 60 metric tonnes a month of manure, which is mixed with other ingredients to make organic fertiliser, adding PPNT may also source goat manure from Kelantan.

-- BERNAMA

Goat semen in good use

By TASHNY SUKUMARAN
tashny@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Marditech Corporation, a subsidiary of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi), said it had never wasted its imported goat and cattle semen for its artifical insemination exercise.

“Based on the current storage facility and technology, the semen can be kept for 99.99 years and beyond,” said Marditech Corp group chief executive officer Anas Ahmad Nasarudin in a statement to The Star.

He said the paper had mistakenly interpreted the Auditor-General's report on Oct 16 that some RM486,100 worth of semen were wasted as they remained unused.

“Procurements made were according to financial policy and procedures and approval based on delegation of powers and authority within the company,” he said, adding that the selection of high quality animals and timing were key critical success factors (CSF) to conduct the insemination.

“Therefore, there is no issue of wastage,” he said, adding that semen and embryo utilisation was carried out on a planned basis by the National Animal Embryo Centre based on identified CSFs.

“In addition, foreign exchange risk is mitigated through a specified number of purchases,” he said, clarifying the A-G's Report that Marditech spent RM1.39mil from 2007 to last year for insemination and embryonic transfer involving cattle and goats.

Regarding the reported purchase of some 1,212 straws of goat semen from its nucleus farm in Kluang, Johor, he said the semen was not “bought” but manually extracted from “selected high quality animals” by their own experts and no expenditure was incurred in the process.

Anas Ahmad also clarifed that the average cost of goat semen was RM150 per straw, and not RM250 as reported.

He added that besides the 1,000 straws of goat semen from the Kalahari breed, there were straws of semen from others, such as the Boer and Savanah breeds.

He also stated that the targets of 81.2% for cattle and 74.2% for goats were not for the insemination exercise but for the total population of cattle and goats, regardless of techniques applied and this includes multiplication by natural breeding.

He also clarifed that the farms mentioned in the A-G's report were the multiplier or satellite farms and not the farm in Kluang.

Regarding the alleged lack of experienced managers and proper infrastructure that caused low birth rates in some multiplier farms, he said these were not the main factors.

“However, floods which hit several multiplier farms in 2008 and 2009 caused detrimental effects and a high death rate was recorded,” he added.

Imported Boer Goat From Australia to Sarawak

Imported Boer Goat From Australia to Sarawak on 22 December 2012.

Boar Goat In Sarawak

The Boer goat is a breed of goat developed in South Africa in the early 1900s for meat production. Their name is derived from the Dutch word "boer", meaning farmer.

Borneo To The World

Soap products display in this booth.

Goat Farming & the Black Gold

One of the most successful goat farming in Sarawak

Goat's Milk Ice Cream

SIBU: TYC Goat and Livestock Sdn Bhd is taking an innovative step forward in promoting and creating awareness on the health benefits of organic goat’s milk through their homemade goat’s milk ice-cream.
Speaking to The Borneo Post on Sunday night, farm owner Loh Yu Yee said the idea came about upon realising that some parents were having a hard time in persuading their children to drink goat’s milk.
“Goat’s milk is one of the least favourite drinks among children, but they sure do love ice-cream.
“So, because goat’s milk is so rich in nutrition, I need to come up with something they love,” she said.
After some research and trials and errors, she finally came up with their original goat’s milk ice-cream.

When she first introduced the flavour at the Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) in July, it was a big hit.
“There were long queues for the goat’s milk ice-cream which was all snapped up within 10 minutes.
“We just wanted to see the response, so we only brought 50 cups on our first day of the sale, we did not know it would be sold out in less than 10 minutes,” she recalled.
Added Loh: “We brought in 100 cups on the second day. Again, they were sold out in less than 10 minutes.”
“The third time we brought in 800 cups, and we sold them in two sessions, one started at 7pm and the other, 8.30pm.
“In both sessions, the ice-cream was sold out in less than one hour,” she said.
That gave Loh the confidence to research and try out new flavours at home.
The result was five new flavours — Horlick, Milo, chocolate, coffee and green tea.

Last Sunday night, they introduced these flavours with free ice-cream testing session at a hotel.
The 68 people who participated in the testing session did not just test the ice-cream but were entertained with interactive games and gifts.
“The purpose of the testing was to receive feedback from the participants and through their feedback, we would see what we need to improve on the flavours,” she explained.

From the feedback, most think that the Horlick flavour is the best.
Loh said they would start selling these new flavours on Sept 16 at the Town Square from 7pm until 10.30pm.
According to her, she reduced the sugar content of her goat’s milk ice-cream by 50 per cent to maintain its nutritious level.

Loh said she was already contemplating introducing ice-creams with fruit flavours.
“It’s a bit challenging because fresh fruits have water,” she pointed out.


Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/08/28/farm-sells-goats-milk-as-ice-cream/#ixzz24n6sipgg

Katjang Goat