Faculty of Animal Science UGM in collaboration with the Indonesia-Australia Red Meat Cattle and Partnership held a small-scale commercial cattle farming business management training Batch 4 which was attended by 30 beef cattle breeding entrepreneurs from the Java-Sumatra region on December 12-19, 2022, in Yogyakarta. The training participants consist of selected livestock businessman or farmer through an administrative selection process and interview selection by the training committee team. The main objective of this activity is to increase the commercialization of the small-scale livestock business through effective management training to generate profits from the business managed by the farmers.
The Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Food Security in the Red Meat and Cattle Sector was developed by the governments of Indonesia and Australia in response to global supply trends showing increased domestic demand for meat in Indonesia, decreased domestic production, reduced availability of imports, and high prices of exporting country. Through this Partnership, Indonesia and Australia are combining their strengths to improve the supply chain of the red meat and cattle sector in Indonesia and to promote a stable trade and investment environment between Indonesia and Australia.
The total cattle population in Indonesia is around 16.6 million heads, of which 90 percent are held by small farmers who have limited capacity in business management aspects. Another challenge that limits farmer productivity is the conventional mindset. Farming is considered a saving activity and not a productive activity. Increasing the capacity of small-scale farmers will greatly assist in managing the cattle business efficiently and effectively.
Team Leader ASG-RMCP (Australia Supporting Group-Red Meatball and Partnership), Irfani, in his remarks conveyed the importance of increasing the capacity of breeders. “This capacity building program is one of the main programs that has been going on since the beginning of the formation of this partnership in the Livestock and Management Industry sector. Hopefully it can increase knowledge, skills, as well as a place for reflection to exchange ideas between participants and facilitators, and networks can be built after the training is over,” he explained.
Faculty of Animal Science UGM as the leading institution of Animal Science and Industry in Indonesia has also developed a training program on livestock business management for smallholder farmers in Indonesia which is focused on equipping small farmers with the technical and financial aspects of livestock business management which enables them to carry out livestock production. commercially and profit-oriented. It is hoped that this training can improve the commercial aspects of smallholder livestock business operations through good management practices that lead to more profitable businesses.
Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, and Collaboration Faculty of Animal Science UGM, Prof. Yuny Erwanto, in his remarks conveyed the importance of opening insights into the world of entrepreneurship and the importance of the role of entrepreneurs to drive the nation’s economy. ”What our nation needs are entrepreneurs who are not dependent on other people. Big companies start from training like this. Hopefully this training can open our horizons so that we can become stronger entrepreneurs and can support the advancement of our nation,” he said.
The training materials cover livestock production systems (breeding and fattening systems, review of partnership models, etc.). Key performance indicators for cattle productivity (recording, feeding, livestock health, livestock waste, livestock reproduction and livestock productivity) and business management (organizational and network development, business planning and analysis, marketing), introduction of smart farming, and development of an entrepreneurial mindset in the livestock business. The material in this training was delivered by 16 presenters who come from academics and practitioners who are competent in their fields. (Secretariat/Prisil).