Latest news with #MARDI
The Sun
18 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
MARDI's disease-resistant gene-edited rice may aid food security, but faces unclear GMO regulations in Malaysia.
KUALA LUMPUR: The leaves tell the story. Laid side by side in a research glasshouse at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) in Serdang, Selangor, the two paddy leaves look alike at first glance. But under the sharp gaze of principal research officer Dr Zulkifli Ahmad Seman, the difference is obvious. One leaf is almost all yellow, a sickly sign of bacterial blight – a disease that has afflicted Malaysian rice fields for decades and caused losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of ringgit. The other is almost entirely green, save for a faint yellowing at the tip. It comes from a rice line Zulkifli and his team edited using CRISPR-CS9 technology. 'So with the host, the protein (blight) can't attach because of where we've mutated it. So when it cannot attach, that's where it will stop,' he told Bernama in the meeting room at MARDI's headquarters. Since 2021, Zulkifli and other MARDI scientists have been involved in a project to develop new genetically edited rice varieties with targeted traits, such as resistance to disease and tolerance to climate challenges like extreme heat and drought. He said they now had a potential gene-edited (GE) paddy line, which is currently undergoing the screening phase. He said so far, their research has shown that blight would only affect 11 percent of the leaves of GE paddy. The line is not just a scientific breakthrough. It is the first GE plant for MARDI and Malaysia. But as Zulkifli's team approaches the fifth generation of the disease-resistant seed, they are coming closer to confronting an arguably worse challenge than blight: Malaysia's regulatory gray zone. GRAY ZONE Malaysia is one of Asia's highest per capita consumers of rice but it does not grow enough of it. In 2023, per capita consumption was 76.7 kilogrammes per year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The numbers have decreased from 2022, showing a 4.7 percent decrease in rice production, from 2.28 million tonnes in 2022 to 2.18 million tonnes in 2023. According to the same statistics, local rice production can only meet 56.2 percent of local demand, leaving the country vulnerable to price shocks and supply disruptions. For paddy farmers like 57-year-old Puteh Hassan in Kedah, the worsening weather patterns and recurring disease outbreaks have made harvests increasingly uncertain. 'There was one season we were badly hit (by bacterial blight). We lost 60 percent of our paddy. When it (blight) strikes, there's nothing inside (the paddy husks)... it's empty,' she said over the phone. Zulkifli's research, should it be allowed to continue, may be able to save Puteh's paddy field from another disastrous attack. But the issue putting the research in limbo is whether current regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) should apply to GE crops or not. Unlike genetically modified organisms, GE crops do not contain foreign DNA, such as Bt corn, which has the DNA from the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis to make it pest-resistant. Instead, they involve precise deletions or tweaks to existing genes a process some researchers argue is closer to accelerated natural selection. As such, scientists and biotechnologists argue they cannot be judged according to the same standards. So far, the regulatory framework has not caught up. Malaysia's Biosafety Act 2007 governs GMOs but when the law was passed, there was no CRISPR technology or any effective way to edit the genome. The scientists are in a quandary – they are doing ground-breaking work with the potential to help the nation feed its people, but will their GE rice even see the light of day? Bernama contacted the National Biosafety Board (NBB) for clarification but the board did not respond before press time. THE YELLOW FIELDS Puteh remembers the season her paddy fields turned yellow. Born in Kedah and raised by paddy farmers, she then married a paddy farmer. Managing her own paddy field for the past 15 years, Puteh has seen plenty of bad years. But she still remembers when the blight wiped out almost all of her income in 2019. 'It was terrible. I lost one tonne of paddy that season,' she said. She had hoped the ensuing seasons would be better but she found that her yields either improved marginally or got worse. In recent years, extreme temperatures and sudden floods have become more common. 'Climate change is really bad now; all kinds of natural disasters, rain, then, water shortages,' she said. On top of that, blight is still there. Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae, spreads quickly in flooded paddies and thrives in warm, humid environments like Malaysia's. It browns and withers paddy leaves and cuts grain production, leaving farmers with rotten fields. At the same time, farmers are growing less rice. According to National Association of Smallholders Malaysia president Adzmi Hassan, many smallholders have shifted to more lucrative crops like oil palm. 'Have you ever heard of paddy as a commodity that can increase income for small businesses?' he asked. 'But we eat rice. There is demand for it here.' He added Malaysia should not just look at technology, it should also look at enriching and encouraging paddy farmers to grow the staple crop. One way would be to ensure there is a consistent and predictable yield year by year. For two years in a row, beginning in the 2023/24 season, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had predicted Malaysia's rice production would be below average. At MARDI's research centre, the GE padi stands as a potential solution. Until they get more information, MARDI researchers are operating under the assumption that their GE rice will not be subject to the same burdensome approval process that stymied past biotech efforts involving GMO products. But, still, the fear is there. The scientists remember all too well efforts to conduct open field trials of a pesticide-resistant strain of GMO padi in Perlis in 2019. Nearby communities and environmentalists protested against holding the trials, in accordance with NBB guidelines. In the end, the project was shelved. MARDI senior research officer Dr Mohd Waznu Adlyl said Malaysia should follow Japan's and a few other countries' lead, which exempts certain gene-edited crops from GMO regulation if no foreign DNA is present. These countries treat GE crops as normal crops as the gene-editing process works just like natural mutations, only faster. He also said the benefits for the world outweighed any potential risks. 'We hope this rice that we produce through gene-editing technology can somehow help our (scientists) to produce new varieties because we know, outside, there are many issues, like climate change and new emerging pests,' he said. But many disagree, seeing GE foods and GMOs as the same. Third World Network biosafety programme coordinator Lim Li Ching indicated to Bernama that they were prepared to protest should GE crops be allowed to stage open field trials without any oversight. 'Just because we can do it doesn't mean we should,' she said via Google Meet from her home in the United Kingdom. While CRISPR technology may work within a plant's own genome, she warned that it can bypass the slow, regulated nature of evolutionary change — introducing traits or gene interactions that may not have natural precedents. She added that even seemingly minor edits could cause unintended effects at the molecular level. Marrying food and technology has rarely if ever received unequivocal support from everyone. While many think the fears surrounding GMOs and now GE technology are overblown, Lim and other environmentalists insist they are not here to stymie biotechnology research or Malaysia's advancement in these sciences. CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary gene-editing tool that allows scientists to make precise changes to an organism's DNA. In plants, the process involves several steps, including causing a break or deletion of a DNA strand, and allowing the plant's natural repair mechanisms to fix the break. This will hopefully result in the desired genetic change. This method enables the development of crops with improved traits, such as disease resistance, drought tolerance and increased yield, without introducing foreign DNA. Despite the supposed benefits, Lim said the benefits may turn into a curse later. 'We still need to assess these crops to check for unintended impacts. That's the bare minimum,' she said. GLOBAL GE or GMO While Malaysia grapples with regulatory uncertainties, other countries are moving forward with GE crops. India has released two genome-edited rice varieties aimed at enhancing yield and resilience against environmental stresses. These varieties were developed using genome editing techniques that allow for precise modifications in the plant's DNA without introducing foreign genes. In contrast, Mexico has taken a more cautious approach. In March 2025, the Mexican government amended its constitution to prohibit the use of genetically modified corn seeds, citing concerns over biosafety and the protection of native corn varieties. The ban just applies to GMOs, however, not GE foods. For Malaysia, the adoption of GE crops like MARDI's blight-resistant rice could play a crucial role in enhancing food security. However, without clear regulatory guidelines, these innovations may remain confined to research facilities. Malaysia has set the target of a rice self-sufficiency rate of 80 percent by 2030, but without intervention, be it via technology or other methods, the nation will likely not meet its goal anytime soon as the world experiences shocks to the supply chain, one after another. Puteh, meanwhile, said she would be interested in trying out a GE crop that is resistant to blight. 'But we need to have discussions first. It may not be suitable for our soil here or the costs may be high. But if it's blight-resistant, we are willing to try,' she said.
The Sun
18 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
The future in a grain: Malaysia's bet on gene-edited rice
KUALA LUMPUR: The leaves tell the story. Laid side by side in a research glasshouse at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) in Serdang, Selangor, the two paddy leaves look alike at first glance. But under the sharp gaze of principal research officer Dr Zulkifli Ahmad Seman, the difference is obvious. One leaf is almost all yellow, a sickly sign of bacterial blight – a disease that has afflicted Malaysian rice fields for decades and caused losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of ringgit. The other is almost entirely green, save for a faint yellowing at the tip. It comes from a rice line Zulkifli and his team edited using CRISPR-CS9 technology. 'So with the host, the protein (blight) can't attach because of where we've mutated it. So when it cannot attach, that's where it will stop,' he told Bernama in the meeting room at MARDI's headquarters. Since 2021, Zulkifli and other MARDI scientists have been involved in a project to develop new genetically edited rice varieties with targeted traits, such as resistance to disease and tolerance to climate challenges like extreme heat and drought. He said they now had a potential gene-edited (GE) paddy line, which is currently undergoing the screening phase. He said so far, their research has shown that blight would only affect 11 percent of the leaves of GE paddy. The line is not just a scientific breakthrough. It is the first GE plant for MARDI and Malaysia. But as Zulkifli's team approaches the fifth generation of the disease-resistant seed, they are coming closer to confronting an arguably worse challenge than blight: Malaysia's regulatory gray zone. GRAY ZONE Malaysia is one of Asia's highest per capita consumers of rice but it does not grow enough of it. In 2023, per capita consumption was 76.7 kilogrammes per year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. The numbers have decreased from 2022, showing a 4.7 percent decrease in rice production, from 2.28 million tonnes in 2022 to 2.18 million tonnes in 2023. According to the same statistics, local rice production can only meet 56.2 percent of local demand, leaving the country vulnerable to price shocks and supply disruptions. For paddy farmers like 57-year-old Puteh Hassan in Kedah, the worsening weather patterns and recurring disease outbreaks have made harvests increasingly uncertain. 'There was one season we were badly hit (by bacterial blight). We lost 60 percent of our paddy. When it (blight) strikes, there's nothing inside (the paddy husks)... it's empty,' she said over the phone. Zulkifli's research, should it be allowed to continue, may be able to save Puteh's paddy field from another disastrous attack. But the issue putting the research in limbo is whether current regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) should apply to GE crops or not. Unlike genetically modified organisms, GE crops do not contain foreign DNA, such as Bt corn, which has the DNA from the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis to make it pest-resistant. Instead, they involve precise deletions or tweaks to existing genes a process some researchers argue is closer to accelerated natural selection. As such, scientists and biotechnologists argue they cannot be judged according to the same standards. So far, the regulatory framework has not caught up. Malaysia's Biosafety Act 2007 governs GMOs but when the law was passed, there was no CRISPR technology or any effective way to edit the genome. The scientists are in a quandary – they are doing ground-breaking work with the potential to help the nation feed its people, but will their GE rice even see the light of day? Bernama contacted the National Biosafety Board (NBB) for clarification but the board did not respond before press time. THE YELLOW FIELDS Puteh remembers the season her paddy fields turned yellow. Born in Kedah and raised by paddy farmers, she then married a paddy farmer. Managing her own paddy field for the past 15 years, Puteh has seen plenty of bad years. But she still remembers when the blight wiped out almost all of her income in 2019. 'It was terrible. I lost one tonne of paddy that season,' she said. She had hoped the ensuing seasons would be better but she found that her yields either improved marginally or got worse. In recent years, extreme temperatures and sudden floods have become more common. 'Climate change is really bad now; all kinds of natural disasters, rain, then, water shortages,' she said. On top of that, blight is still there. Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae, spreads quickly in flooded paddies and thrives in warm, humid environments like Malaysia's. It browns and withers paddy leaves and cuts grain production, leaving farmers with rotten fields. At the same time, farmers are growing less rice. According to National Association of Smallholders Malaysia president Adzmi Hassan, many smallholders have shifted to more lucrative crops like oil palm. 'Have you ever heard of paddy as a commodity that can increase income for small businesses?' he asked. 'But we eat rice. There is demand for it here.' He added Malaysia should not just look at technology, it should also look at enriching and encouraging paddy farmers to grow the staple crop. One way would be to ensure there is a consistent and predictable yield year by year. For two years in a row, beginning in the 2023/24 season, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had predicted Malaysia's rice production would be below average. At MARDI's research centre, the GE padi stands as a potential solution. Until they get more information, MARDI researchers are operating under the assumption that their GE rice will not be subject to the same burdensome approval process that stymied past biotech efforts involving GMO products. But, still, the fear is there. The scientists remember all too well efforts to conduct open field trials of a pesticide-resistant strain of GMO padi in Perlis in 2019. Nearby communities and environmentalists protested against holding the trials, in accordance with NBB guidelines. In the end, the project was shelved. MARDI senior research officer Dr Mohd Waznu Adlyl said Malaysia should follow Japan's and a few other countries' lead, which exempts certain gene-edited crops from GMO regulation if no foreign DNA is present. These countries treat GE crops as normal crops as the gene-editing process works just like natural mutations, only faster. He also said the benefits for the world outweighed any potential risks. 'We hope this rice that we produce through gene-editing technology can somehow help our (scientists) to produce new varieties because we know, outside, there are many issues, like climate change and new emerging pests,' he said. But many disagree, seeing GE foods and GMOs as the same. Third World Network biosafety programme coordinator Lim Li Ching indicated to Bernama that they were prepared to protest should GE crops be allowed to stage open field trials without any oversight. 'Just because we can do it doesn't mean we should,' she said via Google Meet from her home in the United Kingdom. While CRISPR technology may work within a plant's own genome, she warned that it can bypass the slow, regulated nature of evolutionary change — introducing traits or gene interactions that may not have natural precedents. She added that even seemingly minor edits could cause unintended effects at the molecular level. Marrying food and technology has rarely if ever received unequivocal support from everyone. While many think the fears surrounding GMOs and now GE technology are overblown, Lim and other environmentalists insist they are not here to stymie biotechnology research or Malaysia's advancement in these sciences. CRISPR-Cas9 is a revolutionary gene-editing tool that allows scientists to make precise changes to an organism's DNA. In plants, the process involves several steps, including causing a break or deletion of a DNA strand, and allowing the plant's natural repair mechanisms to fix the break. This will hopefully result in the desired genetic change. This method enables the development of crops with improved traits, such as disease resistance, drought tolerance and increased yield, without introducing foreign DNA. Despite the supposed benefits, Lim said the benefits may turn into a curse later. 'We still need to assess these crops to check for unintended impacts. That's the bare minimum,' she said. GLOBAL GE or GMO While Malaysia grapples with regulatory uncertainties, other countries are moving forward with GE crops. India has released two genome-edited rice varieties aimed at enhancing yield and resilience against environmental stresses. These varieties were developed using genome editing techniques that allow for precise modifications in the plant's DNA without introducing foreign genes. In contrast, Mexico has taken a more cautious approach. In March 2025, the Mexican government amended its constitution to prohibit the use of genetically modified corn seeds, citing concerns over biosafety and the protection of native corn varieties. The ban just applies to GMOs, however, not GE foods. For Malaysia, the adoption of GE crops like MARDI's blight-resistant rice could play a crucial role in enhancing food security. However, without clear regulatory guidelines, these innovations may remain confined to research facilities. Malaysia has set the target of a rice self-sufficiency rate of 80 percent by 2030, but without intervention, be it via technology or other methods, the nation will likely not meet its goal anytime soon as the world experiences shocks to the supply chain, one after another. Puteh, meanwhile, said she would be interested in trying out a GE crop that is resistant to blight. 'But we need to have discussions first. It may not be suitable for our soil here or the costs may be high. But if it's blight-resistant, we are willing to try,' she said.
Barnama
5 days ago
- General
- Barnama
DOF Drawing Up New Regulations To Control Release Of Invasive Fish Species
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- The Department of Fisheries (DOF) will draft new regulations to strengthen control activities of fish release into public waters. It announced the move today following complaints regarding the release of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) into Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) Lake in conjunction with a fishing competition organised by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) for the Showtech 2025 programme. According to the statement, after a site visit and engagement session involving DOF representatives, MARDI and the organising company yesterday, several mitigation measures were agreed upon. 'The fishing competition's secretariat will install additional hapa nets, provide bins to collect African catfish caught during the competition, and disseminate awareness material while carrying out fishing activities throughout the programme. 'MARDI will ensure compliance with the installation of nets, open the lake to controlled fishing activities, and coordinate the inventory and disposal of alien fish after the programme concludes. 'The Fisheries Department will also support this effort through the provision of awareness materials and related technical advisory services,' according to the statement. Regarding the release of the African catfish, the DOF said that investigations found that 2,000 kilogrammes (kg) of the fish species, estimated at 1,300 fish with an average weight of 1.5 kg each, were released into the lake on May 29, without any notification or request for advisory services from the Selangor Fisheries office. The DOF statement also advised all parties to always seek technical advice from the State Fisheries office before carrying out any fish release activities into public waters to avoid negative whiplash on the environment and the country's natural resources as an invasive species can eliminate native fish species. According to the DOF, the move is also to ensure that actions taken are in line with the principles of environmental sustainability, and do not pose a risk of invasive species to the local water ecosystem.
Daily Express
26-05-2025
- General
- Daily Express
350 farmers attend MARDI onion cultivation course in Keningau
Published on: Monday, May 26, 2025 Published on: Mon, May 26, 2025 Text Size: MARDI Director-General Datuk Dr. Haji Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani with farmer Shahrizal Denci demonstrating onion planting techniques to participants. A total of 350 participants joined the Onion Cultivation Technology Course organised by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) here today. The course covered key topics including crop variety adaptation, large-scale farming, pest and disease management, post-harvest handling, and market intelligence. MARDI Director-General Datuk Dr. Haji Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani said the program, initiated by Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, aims to introduce rural communities to the economic potential of red onion farming. Participants received hands-on training and insights into practical farming methods. The course also featured a sharing session by Kundasang farmer Shahrizal Denci, who planted MARDI's BAW-2 onion variety on four hectares last year. MARDI is accelerating commercial seed production and distribution, appointing 15 seed entrepreneurs nationwide including two from Sabah to meet growing demand. Currently, three pilot farmers in Sabah are involved, with expected yields of 1–2 metric tons per season. Participants expressed enthusiasm. Paula Kium, 51, said she's eager to start farming onions, while Damil Ungabu, 40, plans to use his family's five-acre land for cultivation. Sakim Ibrahim, 60, head of the Sook Area Farmers' Organisation, hopes the course will uplift the local farming community and turn Sook into a model onion hub in Sabah. Advertisement * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Barnama
23-05-2025
- General
- Barnama
Elusive "Peanut" Goat May Hold Key To Food Security Amid Climate Change
I n a wooden paddock sitting at the edge of a sun-beaten field in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, livestock farmer Kamaruzaman Budin walks slowly toward five goats huddled nervously in the corner of their new black, brown or mixed coats, of which three are short-eared and lean, their diminutive size is striking compared to the goats in the neighbouring pens, some of whom are taller than the railings. Kamaruzaman, 67, better known as Kamal, points to a brown goat with a black line along its spine. Then he points to another, then another. 'Ha, this is 'Kacang',' he tells Bernama. 'One, two, three 'Kacang'.' He had just acquired these five goats from another farmer. The seller claimed all five were purebred Katjang, or 'Kacang' as it is known colloquially ('kacang' means peanut in Bahasa Malaysia). Katjang (Capri aegagrus hircus) is the only goat breed native to Malaysia. However, Kamal has already noticed that two of the five have non-Katjang traits with their long droopy ears. The rest look like they may be purebreds but he won't be sure until Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) scientists, who have been seeking and buying Katjang goats all over Malaysia, can verify their lineage via DNA testing. Nevertheless, Kamal considers himself lucky to have gotten them as Katjang goats are becoming rare. 'The Katjang isn't big. And when it's not big, people aren't interested in raising it. They prefer imported breeds because they are big and their meat ratio is good,' he explains. 'But the good thing about the Katjang is that it is resilient and resistant to diseases.' That resilience, long taken for granted, has become a matter of national concern. After decades of uncontrolled crossbreeding with imported breeds, the Katjang is facing extinction via genetic dilution. As Malaysia struggles with food insecurity, climate change and increasing food import costs, the resilience of the Katjang may hold the key to the solution. Scientists are racing to conserve the Katjang by employing traditional and new methods using DNA technology. THE HARDY GOAT Long before Malaysia imported refrigerated meats and had industrial farms, the Katjang goat was a familiar sight in villages. Farmers would let them forage along roadsides and in the fields and forests. Hardy and not fussy about what it ate or where it slept, the animal has had many generations to evolve and develop a tolerance for Malaysia's heat and humidity, and against the parasites and diseases that are endemic in the country. 'The Katjang is, you know, it's here for a reason. It's indigenous for a reason. It's the best here,' says Dr Ainu Husna M. S. Suhaimi, principal research officer of Advanced and Reproductive Technologies at MARDI. 'Now in Malaysia, we are realising that our local animals are still the most sustainable.' The Katjang's physical traits are distinct. Other than their small size, they have sleek black and/ or dark brown coats, short and tapered upright ears, and straight and tapered upright horns. Adult males typically weigh under 30 kilogrammes, far less than the imported Boer or Jamnapari goats, which can reach twice that size. Although the Katjang breed is very fertile, with twin births, its milk production is only enough for the kids. It is slower to grow to full size and is not very meaty. Because of these perceived disadvantages, the Katjang was gradually sidelined. Kamal remembers when he first started his farm in 1985, he only raised Katjang goats. Then slowly the focus shifted to goats with higher meat yield and from 2004 onwards, Boer goats with their impressive build and meat production were imported from South Africa and Australia. However, it had an oft-fatal flaw – it could not deal with Malaysia's climate, resulting in a 20 percent mortality rate, according to MARDI. 'If you talk to farmers (now), what they want is survivability. So local is the most survivable and adaptable so we know there is a demand for (local breeds) but the local breeds are still small,' adds Dr Ainu Husna. To offset this, the government at the time encouraged farmers to crossbreed with the resilient Katjang. At first, crossbreeding seemed like a win. Hybrids grew faster and bigger, and fetched higher prices. But the lack of a proper breeding programme caused the Katjang gene pool to become diluted over time. Any pure Katjang goats that remained were used again and again, causing inbreeding and resulting in smaller and unhealthy goats. Following a survey conducted by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) from 2001 to 2002, the Katjang was classified as being at risk of extinction and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) listed its status as unknown. Other local breeds of livestock are also facing extinction, including the KK (Kedah-Kelantan) cow, while one breed may be extinct. MARDI believes the indigenous Malin sheep (Ovis aries) is extinct as a breed. Over two decades later, the Katjang's current numbers are unknown. MARDI has a herd of about 100 Katjang goats at its farm in Kluang, Johor, and its researchers are always on the search for more. SMALL GOAT, BIG ROLE At first glance, saving the Katjang might seem odd as it is a livestock breed, reared to be eaten. After all, if one breed of goat is extinct, can't Malaysia just get other goats from elsewhere? Livestock experts say it is not that simple. Although the goat industry is small in Malaysia, there is a consistent market for it, especially among Muslims and Hindus. Muslims sacrifice goats and distribute the meat, called mutton here, during religious events like qurban during Aidiladha and aqiqah, which is to celebrate births, while Hindus, who refrain from eating beef, consume mutton as their red meat. In 2023, the consumption of mutton, which includes goat and sheep meat, had increased to 1.4 kg per capita from 1.0 kg in 2022, while Malaysia's self-sufficiency rate of the meat was 8.7 percent, a drop from 10.7 the previous year. Malaysia spent RM8.5 million importing live goats and RM18.62 million on live sheep in 2023, and RM772.4 million on fresh, frozen and processed mutton. Market analysts predict goat meat will become more popular in the next decade as more people will seek it for its leanness and other nutritional benefits. Depending on imports to meet food demand leaves Malaysia vulnerable to any shocks to the supply chain, as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and recently, the India-Pakistan tensions showed. Meanwhile, local goat production is hampered by expensive feed, veterinary costs and a high mortality rate. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) ecological geneticist Dr Shairah Abdul Razak tells Bernama that the Malaysian livestock industry has been too focused on profits and higher meat yield, without considering issues like the impact of climate change on livestock. 'If we bring, like, sheep that have lots of meat from temperate countries, can they withstand (the heat)? Do you want to provide, you know, coolant for them the whole time you put them in the barn, for example,' she says. 'In terms of nutrients, one of the important things about local breeds is that they… are not very (choosy).' Researchers fear the Katjang will go the way of the Malin sheep, characterised by its light brown coarse wool, which they believe has been crossbred to extinction. However, Shairah thinks there may be a few pure-bred Malin sheep somewhere in Perak and Pahang. '(Saving local breeds of livestock) is a form of – I like to use the word insurance, you know you might not see it (benefits) right now but you have to think for the long term. We want the resilience and the sustainability for the long term,' she adds. DVS researcher and geneticist Dr Ernie Muneerah Mohd Adnan agrees. 'The Katjang goat may not match imported breeds in terms of size or meat production but in the context of climate change, its adaptability to these changes could become critical for the future of Malaysia's livestock industry,' she writes in an email to Bernama. The FAO reported that as of March 2018, 594 local agricultural breeds out of the 7,745 local breeds listed were extinct, while 26 percent were considered 'at risk of extinction" and 67 percent as having 'unknown' status. Should they disappear, so will the genetic traits needed to adapt to new environmental and economic realities. MALAYSIANISED GOAT The core of the Katjang rescue mission lies in a growing effort to locate and collect the DNA of pure Katjang goats. The project combines old-fashioned legwork and husbandry with modern reproductive methods and genetic science. Dr Ainu Husna's team has been fanning out across rural areas in Peninsular Malaysia, visiting livestock farms and Orang Asli villages. When they spot an animal that looks promising, which is rare, they usually purchase the animals for their farm in Johor, collect samples and sequence their genome for desirable genetic markers. Those with the desired traits will be used for selective breeding with other breeds, in the hopes of producing bigger and meatier, but also heat-tolerant and disease-resistant Katjang hybrids. 'We decided we need to have something in the middle,' she says. 'Now, we are developing our pure Katjang-Boer mix or Malaysianised Boer. (For that) we need pure Katjang.' The selective crossbreeding programme utilises natural and artificial fertilisation methods, using semen or eggs stored in liquid nitrogen. In general, Dr Ainu Husna says MARDI prefers to use natural breeding as it tends to be more successful, with an 80 percent success rate. But if that is not possible, then researchers will use artificial insemination or in-vitro fertilisation. The DVS also has a biobank of Katjang sperm samples. Having a ready supply of pure Katjang is necessary to refresh the genetic makeup of the Malaysianised Boer after several generations. It is an expensive and time-consuming process, but one that could safeguard the breed and the country's long-term food security. 'We might not see the challenge now, but as time goes by, the future might bring something that we are not prepared for if we don't have this,' says Shairah, who is a senior lecturer at UKM. LACK OF AWARENESS Despite the urgency, the Katjang conservation project faces daunting barriers. Researchers tell Bernama they have trouble getting funding or cooperation for conservation efforts because people, including farmers, don't understand the importance of saving local livestock breeds too, not just wildlife. Without financial incentives or market demand for pure Katjang, most smallholders will not choose a smaller, slower-growing goat over a meatier import. 'Farmers often find it more profitable to raise imported or crossbred goats rather than purebred Katjang goats,' comments Dr Ernie Muneerah. A few have floated the idea of subsidising farmers to not crossbreed their Katjang and keeping a registry of farmers with pure Katjang, which they can exchange for breeding. All want to fix the disconnect between scientists and farmers, and encourage farmers to use available resources such as MARDI and DVS to breed their livestock. Meanwhile, under the glare of the late afternoon sun in Rembau, Kamal pours a bucket of feed into a blue trough. The goats shuffle over, nudging each other gently. He watches them for a moment, thoughtful. 'If we look at it in terms of disease, they're really easy to raise … not many health issues. When it comes to changes, whether climate or something else, I think the Katjang goat will definitely survive,' Kamal says.
