By Alang Bendahara
SHAH ALAM, July 25 — Selangor’s project to develop grain corn production for its use in animal feed to reduce dependency on imported livestock feed will begin cultivation by the end of the year.
State executive councillor for agriculture Izham Hashim said the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) is currently clearing the lands to plant the crops.
“Land clearing is being done at both project sites for the grain corn plantation in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan which involves 400 acres of land, and at the 300 acres of land in Kuala Langat Selatan. It is expected to be completed in August.
“After that, seed-planting will begin and the first harvest is expected by the end of this year since grain crops take 100 days to mature for harvesting,” he said.
Izham was responding to a query from Kampung Tunku state assemblyman Lim Yi Wei on the status of Selangor’s grain corn plantation projects, during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly here today.
On May 18, the Selangor government through PKPS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan (Incorporated) or MBINS on a grain corn planting project.
Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said the RM3 million project in Kuala Langat Selatan, Kuala Langat and in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, has the potential to reduce livestock feed imports by between two and three per cent.
A total of 5,490 tonnes of grain corn can be produced annually upon the completion of both projects.
The councillor also responded to another query from Lim on Selangor’s plans to solve the issue of a low supply of chicken, stating that PKPS is planning to build a chicken farm for meat production in Ulu Bernam, Hulu Selangor.
“This new farm will be able to produce 300,000 chickens per cycle, thus increasing PKPS-owned chicken farms’ production to 800,000 chickens per cycle, compared to the current 500,000 chickens per cycle,” he said.
Izham added that each chicken harvest cycle takes 35 days to grow the chicken for meat production, with six cycles of harvesting able to be carried out in a year.
