Intensification of Integrated Oil Palm–Ruminant Systems

Abstract

This paper discusses the potential importance and growing expansion of integrated oil palm–ruminant systems. It focuses on the significance of productivity-enhancing technologies and intensification consistent with economic benefits, social acceptance and environmental integrity, and alludes to potential opportunities associated with the sustainable development of such systems. The inclusion of animals in oil palm plantations has the distinct advantages of increasing productivity, providing supplies of animal proteins, and adding value to the oil palm crop. The principal feeds from the oil palm are oil palm trunks, oil palm fronds, palm kernel cake and palm oil mill effluent. These feeds, together with leguminous tree forages, provide for very efficient in situ development of oil palm-based feeding systems for ruminants that provide balanced diets and are relatively low-cost and cost-effective. A review of available data involving cattle in integrated systems indicates the following economic impacts: increased productivity from animals and offtakes, increased yield of fresh fruit bunches, increased income, savings in weeding costs, and an internal rate of return of about 19%. These economic impacts clearly encourage large-scale development of the systems: for this to happen, there is a need for supportive policies and more aggressive technology application on-farm. In addition, complacency needs to be overcome if there is to be wider adoption of the systems. Interest in integrated systems is increasing as intensification and the search for demonstrable efficiency in natural resource management and sustainable production pose challenges for the future.