Kamarruzaman Abdul Jalil: From 15 Kampung Cattle to a Multi-Breed Beef Business in Johor
A young Johor farmer started with 15 local cattle and grew Desa Selatan Beef into a business with more than 10 breeds and 30 workers.
Who is Kamarruzaman Abdul Jalil?
Kamarruzaman Abdul Jalil owns Desa Selatan Beef Sdn. Bhd., a beef cattle business based in Johor Bahru, Johor. He was 35 when Utusan Malaysia profiled him in November 2018, in an article about a training club for ruminant farmers. The figures here are from that report and date to 2018.
This profile uses only his public professional record.
Starting with kampung cattle in 2008
After completing his SPM school exams in 2008, he ran his family's cattle business for nine years, beginning with 15 kampung cattle. Kampung cattle are the local village cattle of Malaysia.
From that base he expanded to more than 10 local and crossbred breeds. The article names Brahman x Charolais, Murray Grey, Hereford, a Belgian Blue crossbreed, Brahman, Brakmas, Jersey Friesian and Limousin from France. He describes himself as both a beef producer and a beef cattle farmer.
Feed, workforce and scale
Kamarruzaman uses rice bran, called dedak, as a feed formula to increase the cattle's weight. By 2018 he employed more than 30 workers, a sizable team for a business that began with 15 animals.
The wider point of the article is how a young farmer can grow from a very small herd. Starting with 15 animals and a family business, he reached a team of more than 30 and a stable of more than 10 breeds in under a decade, according to the same report.
Running many breeds together is a way to test which animals perform best in Johor conditions, though the article does not report results by breed, so no comparison is made here.
The Key to Kamarruzaman's Success
The Utusan report is short, so the lessons below stay close to what it says and do not guess at motives or finances.
- He started small. Fifteen kampung cattle in 2008 kept early risk low.
- He added breeds over time. More than 10 local and crossbred breeds gave him a range of animals to work with.
- He used low-cost feed. A rice bran formula aimed to raise weight using a locally available by-product.
- He invested in training. He credits the GTR club for courses on cattle management, marketing, frozen beef products and the Malaysian livestock industry.
- He moved beyond production. His stated focus now includes both producing beef and farming beef cattle.
- The limit: the article gives no herd totals or financial results, so the scale of the business is not fully documented.
Training through the GTR club
In the newspaper article, Kamarruzaman credits the Kelab Generasi Transformasi Ruminan Malaysia, known as GTR, with courses that helped him. He calls it a kind of school for farmers. The courses covered cattle management, marketing, frozen beef products and the livestock industry in Malaysia.
The mix of cattle management, marketing and frozen beef products in the curriculum shows how the business side of beef sits beside the herd work.
The 2017 national farmers' award
In 2017 Kamarruzaman received the Anugerah Perdana at Hari Peladang, Penternak dan Nelayan Kebangsaan, the national day for farmers, livestock keepers and fishers, known as HPPNK. This is an award from a national event rather than a breed society hall of fame, and it is described in the 2018 article.
For more on farmers and cattle, see the ranching section of farm.FM, or read a farm.FM story about beef cattle farming.
Timeline
- 2008Begins running his family's cattle business with 15 kampung cattle
- 2008 to 2017Runs the family cattle business for nine years
- 2017Receives the Anugerah Perdana at the national HPPNK farmers' day
- 2018Utusan Malaysia reports more than 10 breeds and more than 30 workers
- 28 November 2018Utusan Malaysia publishes its profile of the GTR club and Kamarruzaman
Frequently asked questions
Who is Kamarruzaman Abdul Jalil?
He is a Malaysian beef cattle farmer who owns Desa Selatan Beef Sdn. Bhd. in Johor Bahru. He began in 2008 with 15 kampung cattle.
What breeds does Desa Selatan Beef raise?
A 2018 report names more than 10 local and crossbred breeds, including Brahman x Charolais, Murray Grey, Hereford, Brakmas, Jersey Friesian and Limousin.
What is the HPPNK award?
HPPNK stands for Hari Peladang, Penternak dan Nelayan Kebangsaan, Malaysia's national day for farmers, livestock keepers and fishers. Kamarruzaman received its Anugerah Perdana in 2017.
What are kampung cattle?
Kampung cattle are Malaysia's local village cattle. Kamarruzaman started his business with 15 of them in 2008 before adding crossbred and imported beef breeds.
Sources and further reading
Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.
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