TANJUNG, South Kalimantan: The Tabalong Food Crops, Livestock, and Fisheries Agency or Disnakkan implements integration programs of cows and oil palm in two districts, namely Haruai and Muara Uya, Antaranews reported.
Head of Tabalong Distanakkan, Suharyadi, here on Monday said the palm cow integration program as an effort to improve beef cattle population in view of the increasing needs of beef in the community.
“The area of oil palm plantations in Tabalong reached 259 hectares. So the potential for animal feed from oil palm waste and grass field high enough then palm cow integration program is implemented ,” said Suharyadi.
In the course of this integration, farming community involvement is very necessary, especially those living around the oil palm plantations, with the pattern of intensive and semi-intensive cattle management systems.
Palm cows integration program in the long run is expected to generate positive effects for farmers, groups and local governments. Among is utilization of oil palm waste can be optimized. Farmers can participate in the business of beef cattle and cows seeds that add jobs.
One group of farmers from the village of Hayup, Subdistrict Haruai, namely Sunkis Farmers Group has been awarded in the management of palm cow integration activities. They are champion one as cattle farmer group in South Kalimantan provincial level in 2009 and 3rd place in national level in the same year.
Cattle population in Tabalong currently reaches 4,272 heads and only 13 percent of eligible beef bulls, while each year needs reach 1,887 head of beef cattle.