- PersatuanGenetik Malaysia

PLENARY LECTURES
Plenarv 6
Conservation and Utilization of Anima! Genetic Resources in Malaysia
by
JohariJ.A.
Strategic Livestock Research Center, MARDI, Serdang Selangor, Malaysia
Email: nekii@mardi.mv
ABSTRACT
Animal genetic resources (AnGR) refer to all animal species, breeds and strains
that are of economic, scientific and cultural interest to humankind in terms of food and
agricultural production for the present or the future. Malaysia has more than 14 species of
farm animals that contribute directly in the form of meat, milk, eggs and fiber and indirectly
in the form of manure, transport and store of wealth to human needs. The most common
farm animal species are cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, horses, buffalo and deer.
These breeds are either locally adapted or recently introduced through importation or
synthetic breeds result from systematic breeding and selection. The locally adapted
indigenous breed formed an important part of the rural economy and has developed
through natural selection and adaptation. lntensification of animal agriculture could result
in the extinction of the less productive but genetically valuable local breeds as they are
being replaced slowly by high producing breeds or crossbreeding with imported exotic
breeds. The conservation of these valuable farms animal genetic resources is therefore
very essential to maintain current genetic variability both in terms of individual genes and
gene combinations. Currently the conservation of AnGR in Malaysia has been minimal.
The conseruation of AnGR is either in situ in government farms or ex-situ in Zoo or as
trozen semen in Semen Bank at NIAB. The conservation and utilization of AnGR in
Malaysia are guided by the National Policy on Biological Diversity.
lntroduction
The term animal genetic resources (AnGR) is used to include all animal species,
breeds and strains that are of economic, scientific and cultural interest to humankind in
terms of food and agricultural production for the present or the future. Another equivalent
term increasingly used is farm animal genetic resources.ln Malaysia, there are more than
14 species of farms animals that contribute either directly (through animal products used
for meat, milk, eggs and fiber) and indirectly (through functions and products such as draft
power, manure, transport, store of wealth, etc) to human needs (Anon., 2003). For many
centuries these farms animals have played a significant role in the overall growth of the
Malaysian agriculture and are an important economic resource for the livestock industry,
serving to reduce farmers risk exposure and generate employment of the rural population.
The common farm animal species in Malaysia include cattle, sheep, goats, pigs,
chickens, horses, buffalo and deer have diversified breeds or strains. Among them a total
of 101 breeds have been identified (Anon.,2003). These breeds are either locally
adapted or recently introduced through importation or synthetic breeds result from
systematic breeding and selection. The locally adapted indigenous breed forms an
important part of the rural economy and has developed through natural selection and
adaptation. The local breeds have acquired a reasonably high degree of tolerance to
harsh tropical environment of high temperature, high humidity, poor feed quality and
tropical diseases. They had developed and acquired genetic diversity that enables them to
survive and reproduce under local environment. The gene or combination of genes that
the local breeds inherit could be important for breed development in the future.
The loss in genetic diversity of the local breeds in developing countries has
occurred rapidly in the last decades mainly due to the modernization and transformation of
Proceedings of the
{
Nationat Congress on Genetics, 12-14 May 2005, Kuala Lumpur
30
agriculture (Scherf, 19g5). The intensification of animal agriculture and the inclination of
had
br-eeders and farmers to use only one or two breeds with high productive performance
to
due
breeds
local
loss
of
the
and
resulted in only few breeds that were developed
revolution
agricultural
the
ongoing
replacement (driggs and Briggs, 1990). ln Malaysia,
and the intensifi;ation of animal agriculture could result in the extinction of the less
productive but genetically valuable local breeds as they are being replaced slowly by high
producing bree-ds or crossbreeding with imported exotic breeds. The loss of these local
breeds would mean the loss of genetic diversity and local gene that had developed over
centuries in the local breeds. The conservation of these valuable farms animal genetic
resources is therefore very essential to maintain current genetic variability both in terms of
individual genes and gene combinations.
Malaysia being a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity is committed to be
a global partner in the sustainable management of biological diversity. The National Policy
o,i Domestic Animal Diversity (NPDAD) is to conserve and use indigenous genetic
resources of farm animal for food security and the nutritional well being of the nation. This
national policy document provides a comprehensive national program on the conservation
and sustainable utilization of Malaysia's rich biodiversity heritage. The Malaysian vision is
for Malaysia to be a center of excellence for conservation and sustainable utilization of
animal biodiversity by the year 2020. The best form of conservation of farm animal
genetic resources is to use the indigenous livestock for economic purposes in a
sustainable long term breeding program.
Farm animal genetic diversitY
Malaysia has a vast array of breeds and strains of various species of farm animal.
most
common species of farm animal found in Malaysia are cattle, buffalo, sheep,
The
goats, horses, pigs, poultry and deer. The number of breeds for each common farm
inimal species is summarized in Table 1 . There are a total of 101 breeds of livestock
recorded of which 36 breeds are locally adapted and 65 breeds are recently introduced or
continually imported (Anon., 2003).
The beef cattle breeds found in this country are the Kedah-Kelantan (KK),
Brahman and crosses, Brakmas, Charolais X, Charoke, Chianina X, Droughtmaster,
Girlando, Hereford X, Boran X, Limousin X and Nelore and crosses. The dairy breeds
include the Australian Friesian Sahiwal (AFS), Australian Milking Zebu (AMZ), Holstein
Friesian and crosses, Jersey and crosses, Local lndian Dairy (LlD), Mafriwal (MFW), Red
Friesian X, Sahiwal Friesian and Sabah Sahiwal-Friesian. The Bali cattle and the
Seladang belong to the Bos garus sub-species. The Selembu is the hybrid between the
cattle and the Seladang. The KK cattle and the LID cattle are considered as locally
adapted breeds, while the Bali cattle were impofted from lndonesia.
The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Malaysia are the Swamp buffalo (Kerbau Sawah)
and River Buffalo (Murrah). The swamp buffalo in Borneo is also known as Borneo
Buffalo. The sheep breeds include the indigenous Malin and introduced breeds and their
croSSeS such Barbados Blackbelly, Dorper X, Dorset X, Dorsimal, Long Tail, Malin,
Morada Nova X, Santa ln6s, Segurena X, Southdown X, Suffolk X, Sufrimal, Sussex X .
The goat breeds in Malaysia are the indigenous Katjang, Alpine, Anglo Nubian, Australian
Feral Goat, Boer, Jermasia, Jamnapari, German Fawn, Kambing Gurun, Saanen,
Toggenburg.
The poultry in Malaysia include chicken, duck, geese, quail, ostrich and turkey.
There are various breeds and strains of poultry. The indigenous strains of chicken include
the Ayam Hutan, Ayam Kampong, Ayam Sabong, Ayam Serama/Kapan, Ayam Sutera
(Silky). The duck breeds are the Belibis, ltik Jawa, ltik Kampong, Khaki Campbell,
Muscovy, Pekin, Serati/Nila. The Angsa Kampong is the indigenous geese in Malaysia.
The deer breeds that have been used for livestock farming include the Axis, Sambar,
Sika, Red Deer, Timorensis. Some of the locally adapted breeds mention above are at
Proceedings ot the
{
Nationat Congress on Genetics, 12-14 May 2005, Kuala Lumpur
31
PLENARY LECTURES
risk and these include Local Indian Dairy cattle, the Seladang, the Selembu, Bali cattle,
Murrah buffaloes, Malin sheep, Barlin, Bardorin, Dorsimal sheep, Sufrimal sheep, Katjang
goats, Gurun goats and South China Pigs.
Table 1: Species and breeds of AnGR in Malaysia
Current Total
Species
Cattle
Buffalo
Sheep
Goats
Horses
Piqs
Chicken
Turkev
Ducks
Geese
Rabbits
Quail
Ostrich
Deer
L
E
3
15
0
I
4
3
1
3
5
0
4
't
I
8
8
3
2
2
3
1
Number of Breeds
At Risk
Widelv Used
3
2
0
0
0
L
4
2
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
L
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
E
1
0
0
E
4
0
2
4
5
3
3
1
2
0
2
6
0
2
0
2
0
2
2
0
0
0
0
2
1
4
0
0
0
2
NB: L=Locally adapted or native; E=Exotic (Recently introduced and continually imported); Breeds
0
at risk are those with total number of breeding females and males less than 1,000 and 20,
respectively or if the population size is less than 1,200 and decreasing.
Sources: Anon.,2003.
Utilization of farm animal genetic resources (AnGR) Cattle (Bos)
ln 2003, the total cattle population in the country was about 752,500 heads
(DVS, 2003). The indigenous KK and KK crosses formed 80o/" of the cattle population in
the country. The KK cattle have been reared in this country for centuries and have been
an important source of genetics to the beef industry in Malaysia (Devendra et a1.,1973).
The breed is hardy, well adapted and useful principally for beef production and secondary
for draught animal, skin and hides production. About 80% of the KK population is in the
hands of oil palm settlers, rural villagers and padi planters who rear these animals on a
part-time basis. This animal is important to the small holders and FELDA setters as a
source of meat and ready income. The KK cattle and its crosses have also been reared
on a commercial scale under the integrated cattle-oil palm production system by the
government-related agencies such as FELDA Farm Product and ESPEK Livestock Sdn.
Bhd (Chen et a1.,1996). The local KK cattle and its crosses in the smallholder and
commercial herds is only able to produce 20"/o of the country total demand for beef (DVS,
2003). lnsufficient number and lack of quality of breeder cows have been cited as the
major factors for the low output from the local cattle.
To increase local production of beef, various strategies have been adopted by the
government. The massive importation of Draughtmaster cattle in the 80's was aimed at
increasing the number and quality of the local cattle breeder population. The
crossbreeding of KK with exotic breeds such as Brahman, Charolais, Chianina, Hereford,
Limousin (Dahlan, 1985; Ahmad et al., 1996) was to upgrade the beef production potential
of local cattle. MARDI (Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development lnstitute) has
developed the synthetic breeds Brakmas (using Brahman and Kedah-Kelantan foundation
stocks) and Charoke (Charolais and Kedah-Kelantan foundation stocks). Brakmas is
recommended for use in low input management conditions such as in integration with oil
Proceedings of the dh National Congress on Genetics, 12-14 May 2005, Kuala Lumpur
32
PLENARY LECTURES
palm (Johari, 2001). Charoke is recommended for use in producing feedlot cattle (Ahmad
et al.,2OOO)
The Local lndian Dairy (LlD) cattle have been the dairy breed for small holders in the
country for centuries. LID cattle have been described as a medium size breed with low
milk yield potential. (Sivarajasingam, 1982) To improve the milk yield, the LID was
crosied with exotic breed such as Sindhi, Sahiwal and Friesian cattle. ln the 80's the
massive importation of Sahiwal-Friesian crossbred dairy cattle from Australia had
replaced LID as the main dairy breed in the country. The number of LID cattle in the
country has reduced to less than 2000 heads. The introduction of Mafriwal cattle as a
potential dairy breed in Malaysia had furlher replaced the LID a dairy breed (Raymond
and Hawari, 1996).
Buffalo
The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Malaysia are of two types: Swamp buffalo and
River Buffalo. ln 2003, the total Buffalo population in the country was about 133,368
heads (DVS 2OO3). The buffalo population in the country is declining at 4"/" per annum
since 1980. This is mainly due to increased utilization of mechanization and the
diminishing use of the buffalo in ploughing the paddy field. The swamp buffalo however
still contributes to meat production especially in the state of Pahang, Negeri Sembilan,
Sabah and Sarawak. The swamp buffalo has also been used to transpott fresh oil palm
bunches in the oil palm plantation. The murrah buffalo produces milk mainly for the
Malaysian lndian population who use buffalo milk to produce clarified butter for use in
cooking celebrations.
The Swamp buffalo in Malaysia has been neglected and has not been fully
exploited for beef production (Nordin ef a/.,1988). Although the buffalo remains to be a
vaiuable source of meat and an important genetic resource, there has not been any
systematic program to breed and conserve the animals. As such, there has been limited
genetic improvement of buffalo in Malaysia. The buffalo has been left to survive on its own
with small populations of swamp buffalo still located in paddy lands, river banks and rural
villagers.
Small ruminants
The goat population in the country is about 245,147 heads with Katjang goats and
its crosses predominant (DVS, 2003). Katjang goat is indigenous not only to Malaysia but
also to lndonesia. The goats are small in size, hardy, well-adapted and widely distributed
in small herds owned by the small holders (Devendra and Mcleroy, 1982). ln addition to
the Katjang goats, there are various breeds of goat being introduced into the country.
These include Jamnapari, Boer, Australian Feral goat, Saanen, Toggenberg, Alpine and
Anglo Nubian. These goat breeds are quite hardy and adapt to local management
systems. Goats are reared mainly for chevon production. A synthetic breed of goat
known as Jermasia was introduced by the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.
Jermasia is a stabilized cross of German Fawn and Katjang and is also developed for
meat production (Panandam et al., 1991). Milk production from goat is only for a niche
market where goats' milk is perceived to be good for nursing mothers and for people
having difficulty in digesting cow's milk. Saanen is the most popular breed for milk
production.
The sheep population in the country is about 115,131 heads and is reared mainly
for the production of mutton (DVS, 2003). Wool from the local sheep is coarse thus has no
economic use. The indigenous sheep of Malaysia (Malin) is small in size with low growth
rate and thus are not competitive for mutton production. Malin sheep are found in small
numbers in rural areas. Besides the Malin sheep, other breeds of sheep have been
introduced into the country. Among the introduced sheep breeds were Commercial
Merino Border Leicester Crosses, Thailand (Siamese Long-tail), Suffolk, Dorset, the hair
Proceedings of the dh National Congress on Genetics, 2-14 May 2005, Kuala Lumpur
1
33
sheep breeds of Bali bali, Barbados Blackbelly and Santa ln6s. The hair sheep breeds
were introduced into the local sheep population because of their tropical adaptiveness and
higher growth potential compared to the indigenous breed (Khusahry et al., 1996). Hair
sfrLep dan Oe'breed all year round with good fertility. The breeding of Malin, Barbados
Blackbelly and Santa ln6s were carried out at Jeram Pasu Sheep Breeding Center by the
Department of Veterinary Services (Anon, 2003).
Poultry and Swine
Poultry species in Malaysia are very diverse and include chicken, duck, geese,
quail, ostrich and turkey. The local chicken or kampong chicken is an important genetic
resource and a component of the integrated farming system in the villagers (Azahan,
1gg4). lt provides poultry meat and eggs to the people as well as a source of income to
the villagers. There is a niche market for Kampong Chicken, which is perceived to be
tastier than commercially produced chicken. Several commercial farms to produce
kampong chicken have been established.
The commercial layers and broiler chicken parent stocks were imported and
managed under an integrated system by the big multi-national poultry breeding company.
Among the popular breeds of broiler chicken include Arbor Acre, Avian Lohmann, Cobb,
Kabir and Ross. The commercial layer breeds were Golden Comets, Babcock, lsabrown,
Hisex and HandN. The ducks were either reared for meat or eggs. The rest of the poultry
species are reared mainly for meat either on small scale or commercial scale.
The breeds of pig used in the swine industry are of exotic origin. Among the
exotic breeds are the Landrace, Large White, The breeding stocks were mainly from the
USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Holland and Taiwan. Local breeding
companies multiply purebred imported stock and sell them to commercial farms. The
indigenous Chinese pig is not used in the present swine industry although the breed is
known to have good mothering ability. lndiscriminate crossbreeding and successful
adoption of exotic breeds have resulted in the local Chinese pigs disappearing completely
from the science.
Rare species
The rare species are the wildlife that are being used for livestock farming. Sambar
deer for example, is being farmed commercially for deer meat production. Seladang (Bos
gaurus hubbaki) and Lesser Mouse Deer (Kancil - Tragulus javanicus fulviventefl are
being considered for livestock farming. The Deer are being kept principally for the
production of venison. Crossbreeding is not being pursued and breeding animals have
always been kept pure.
Conservation of farm animal genetic resources.
Malaysia generally is committed to biodiversity conservation although the focus
has always been on habitat, plant and wildlife conservation. The conservation of AnGR
had been very minimal. Malaysia is actively involved in regional project on conservation
and sustainable use of AnGR initiated by FAO in 1994. The project involved the
sustainable use, development and conservation of animal genetic resources. The first
phase of the project is the preparation of the report on the State of the Worlds Animal
Genetic Resources and the countries participating in the preparation of the report are to
present reports on animal genetic resources in the respective country (FAO, 1999). The
representative from the Department of Veterinary Services is responsible for the
preparation of the country repoft who is also the national coordinator of the project (Anon,
2003). Malaysia has also developed its National Policy on Domestic Animal Diversity and
Farm Animal Genetic Resources Management Plan. The conservation and utilization of
AnGr in Malaysia are guided by the National Policy on Biological Diversity (1998).
Currently most of the conservation programs are for ruminants and are undertaken
by the Department of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture. The number of breeds in
Proceedings of the dh National Congress on Genetics, 12-14 May 2005, Kuala Lumpur
34
conservation programs is summarized in Table 2. ln situ conservation is undertaken in
livestock breeding farms owned by the Department of Veterinary Services. The
indigenous Kedah-Kelantan cattle are kept at the Tersat Livestock Station, Bali cattle at
the lnstitute Haiwan Kluang and Malin sheep at the Jeram Pasu Sheep Farm (Anon,
2OO3). The objectives for breed conservation are the establishment of a stable herd with
wide gene pool, genetic improvement of the breed and marketing of breed products in a
niche market.
The ex situ conservation for the China Pigs (or Local Chinese Pigs) is in the
National Zoo and the Selembu cattle is maintained at the Padang Hijau Livestock Center.
Semen from farm animals that are at risk and those not at risk are collected and stored in
the form of frozen semen in the Semen Bank managed by the National lnstitute of Animal
Biotechnology (NIAB), Department of Veterinary Services. MARDI has also started gene
bank facilities which would used to store genetic material from all farm animals.
Table 2: Number of Breeds of Farm Animal ln Conservation Programs in Malaysia
Species
Number of Locally Adapted Breeds At Risk
Managed ex
Total
Managed ln
sifu
Cattle
Buffalo
Sheep
Goats
Camels
Lamas and
Aloaca
Horses
Donkeys
Piqs
Chicken
Turkev
Ducks
Geese
Ftabbits
4
siti
Both (in and ex
situl
2
2
1
3
1
2
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
1
Note: NA - Not applicable
Sources: Anon, 2003.
The in sifu and ex situ farm animal conservation programs are funded mainly by
ln situ conservation
programs are in the form of computerized data recording, artificial insemination services
and to a limited extent, embryo transfer (ET) services while ex situ conservation are
the government with little or no input from industry or NGO's.
mainly in the form of semen banking services and monitoring systems.
Conclusion
Malaysia has a vast array of breeds and strains of various species of farm animals.
The most common species of farm animals found in Malaysia are cattle, buffalo, sheep,
goats, horses, pigs, poultry and deer. These breeds are either locally adapted or recently
introduced through importation or are synthetic breeds resulting from systematic breeding
and selection. The locally adapted indigenous breed forms an important part of the rural
economy and has developed through natural selection and adaptation. The intensification
of animal agriculture could result in the extinction of the less productive but genetically
valuable local breeds as they are being replaced slowly by high producing breeds or
crossbreeding with imported exotic breeds. The conservation of these valuable farms
animal genetic resources is therefore very essential to maintain current genetic variability
both in terms of individual genes and gene combinations. Currently the conservation of
AnGR in Malaysia has been minimal. The conservation of AnGR is either in situ in
Proceedings of the dh National Congress on Genetics, 12-14 May 2005, Kuala Lumpur
35
PLENARY LECTURES
government farms or ex-situ in Zoo or as trozen semen in The Semen Bank at NIAB.
ihe conservation and utilization of AnGR in Malaysia are guided by the National Policy on
Biological Diversity (1 998).
Reference
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