Cattle Farmers To Wait Till Cows Come Home In Plantation Row

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 For generations, cattle have been reared in plantations by estate workers. This practice began when plantation wages were critically low, prompting Abdul Razak Hussein, the second prime minister of Malaysia, to introduce the Buku Hijau initiative.
This initiative encouraged workers to cultivate vegetables and raise livestock to supplement their income. Over the decades, while many plantation families moved away, some continued to rear cattle on estate peripheries.
Several plantation managers, including Guthrie, historically allowed space and support for these farmers.
However, in recent years, particularly in 2019, Sime Darby introduced a zero-cattle policy, demanding the immediate removal of livestock within three months.
ADSThis abrupt directive caused severe hardship for cattle farmers, who had nowhere to relocate their animals.
Protests erupted, including demonstrations at the Sime Darby headquarters on Aug 8, 2019, and at the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry on Sept 19 the same year.
Following the intervention of the then agriculture minister Salahuddin Ayub, a temporary pause in evictions was achieved.
Unfortunately, the issue resurfaced in 2024, and farmers again sought help from the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.
Several meetings were held. The cattle farmers’ committee called for a pause. Sime Darby refused to send their top management for the meeting and only sent their enforcement officers.
We can summarise the positions of the stakeholders as below:
Sime Darby plantation owners claimed that cattle were a nuisance, invading estate line sites and damaging oil palm nurseries.
Cattle farmers emphasised that they sought no financial aid but needed grazing land, which is scarce. They also contribute to national food security by supplying milk and meat, and are committed to preventing cattle from entering restricted areas. The cattle farmers agreed to take responsibility on their end.
The Veterinary Department acknowledged that cattle and oil palm cultivation can coexist. It highlighted evidence that cattle can enhance palm oil yields, citing Sawit Sabah, which even offers incentives for cattle integration.
The Veterinary Department, under the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, drafted a 66-page guideline titled “Guidelines for Systematic Integrated Cattle Farming" in 2023 as a document to formalise this coexistence, yet Sime Darby has refused to comply.
When questioned, their enforcement officers stated they fall under the Commodities Ministry, not the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.
This jurisdictional divide has stalled progress, despite Sime Darby being a government-linked company (GLC), which should facilitate inter-ministerial coordination.
ADSEscalation in Selangor
In Selangor, local authorities and the police have assisted Sime Darby in forcibly removing cattle.
In one operation, two farmers were arrested. Disturbingly, cattle seized by the land office are allegedly auctioned off, and farmers are forced to pay fines to recover their own livestock - only for the animals to be returned to the same estates from which they were evicted. This cycle appears to be a revenue-generating scheme.
During these operations, several cattle died or went missing, with suspicions that they were sold or consumed by those involved.
The process lacks transparency - conducted at night, without farmer oversight and has been widely condemned by farmers.
To date, farmers have lodged around 120 police reports, with hardly any action from the authorities.
Political failures
Repeated requests for dialogue with the Selangor Menteri Besar’s office have, as usual, yielded promises but no concrete action.
On Jan 22, the Gabungan Penternak Marhaen sent a memorandum to the Selangor menteri besar.
Around 100 cattle farmers participated, and an aide, Daing Muhammad Reduan, promised to call for a meeting between the parties. It’s been nine months, and it has yet to be done.
On Oct 2, another memorandum was sent, and again, another officer, this time one named Firdaus, gave the same promise. There seems to be no will to resolve the issue.
PSM and farmers handing a memorandum to the Menteri Besar’s Office on Oct 2Solutions in sight but no commitments
Malaysia imports a significant portion of its beef and milk. Malaysia’s self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) for beef/cattle meat was only 15.9 percent in 2023, while for fresh cow milk, the SSR was about 57.3 percent, meaning 42–43 percent is being imported.
These cattle farmers represent a homegrown solution to food security, yet they face systematic displacement.
The only tangible solution is for Sime Darby to immediately cease oppressive operations against farmers, allow for a meeting, facilitate inter-ministerial collaboration to resolve conflicts, and finally adhere to federal guidelines on cattle-palm oil integration.
The state and federal governments must align their policies to protect livelihoods, promote food sovereignty, and uphold justice.
The irony is stark: the federal Madani government supports cattle-plantation coexistence, yet the state Madani government and a federal GLC are undermining it. - Mkini
S ARUTCHELVAN is PSM deputy chairperson.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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