Two students of Faculty of Animal Science (FAS) UGM, M. Alvian Azwar Anas (2015) and Kezia Nathania Amos Oelendeda (2017), had the opportunity to study Australia’s extensive farming system in the NTCA Indonesia Australia Pastoral Program (NIAPP) 2019 on August 25-October 31 2019.
“I was placed in Pigeon Hole Station under Heytesbury Cattle Company with 22,000 cows and 181,000 ha, while Kezia was placed at Brunchilly Station under Sidney Kidman Cattle Company with 24,000 cows and 4572 km2. “There is an extensive farming system, which is raising cattle using natural grazing in feeding, so utilizing native grass and cattle are not kept in the animal housing,” Alvian said in a release Thursday (11/28).
Alvian said, at stations in Australia, a small number of employees can take care of thousands of cattle because of the technological advances and good quality human resources.
“We herded cattle to another paddock 20 km away by horse. To check the condition of the paddock, we use a helicopter. Many farms there use machines and vehicles, for example tractors, truck road trains, craters, quadbikes, and many other machines that support work,” explained Alvian.
When undergoing the program, Alvian and Kezia must survive in very hot temperatures, even reaching 430 C. However, these obstacles do not mean anything compared to the benefits they get.
Both claimed to gain many new lessons and skills while at cattle station. Kezia said, the program did not merely increase knowledge in the field of animal science but also increased soft skills.
“In this program we are trained in dexterity, patience, communication skills, and self-control that are very useful for preparation in the world of work. In addition, we also interact with local residents,” said Kezia. Alvian mentioned that there were many benefits gained during and after he joined this program. “I feel a lot of benefits, relationships, and new experiences that will be useful going forward. “The natural conditions, livestock, and culture of Australia that are different from Indonesia make me have to be able to learn new things quickly and be able to communicate well with Ringer (the Australian term for Cowboy),” said Alvian. He hopes that more students from FAS UGM will be interested and willing to take part in this program because there are many benefits that can be obtained.
The NIAPP program is held once a year since 2012. In this program, Alvian and Kezia together with 18 other students from various universities throughout Indonesia participated in a series of activities such as pre-departure training at PT. Widodo Makmur Perkasa Cianjur, training at Alice Spring, and placement at cattle station. (Nadia