InfoSAWIT, PONTIANAK – In 2016, revolutionary initiative through Indonesia – Australia Commercial Cattle Breeding Program, opened new chapter for cattle and red meat trade industries. For eight years implementing palm oil – cow integrated program or sistem integrasi sapi kelapa sawit (SISKA), it hit the success in cattle production in Indonesia.
Team Leader, Advisory Support Group, Indonesia Australia Red Meat and Cattle Partnership (IAR-RMCP), Stuart McAdam said, the partnership between Indonesia and Australia for one decade (2014 to 2024) would be the base for collaboration in cattle and red meat trade.
The project, McAdam continued, was funded by the Government of Australia. The goal is about to reinforce trade, escalate welfare, and encourage industrial progress. “The trade reached millions of dollars every year, would be the significant industries for both countries, providing employments, and delivering economic advantages,” he said when inaugurating international scale – seminar ‘The 2nd Integrated Cattle and Oil-Palm Production (ICOP) Conference with the theme “Synergizing Growth and Sustainability: Innovating Integrated Cattle and Oil Palm Plantation Systems”, Monday (29/1/2024) that InfoSAWIT attended in Pontianak.
McAdam continued, from the successful project, the focus is on cattle production in Indonesia. Two program keys – Indonesia - Australia Commercial Cattle Breeding and SISKA Supporting Program – played significant roles. The first was it started in 2016, explore the cattle breeding models commercially but palm oil (plantation) and cattle production integrated program known as SISKA, were successful commercially.
The successful SISKA was not about in the commerce level only but also massively showing the potential progress. For palm oil plantations in Indonesia laid on about 16 million hectares, SISKA would be the potential model to breed new cattle.
He continued, SISKA Supporting Program started being funded in October 2021 to April 2024. The goal is about to promote cow breeding in SISKA program in palm oil plantations.
One striking realization in SISKA Supporting Program was the potential cooperation between palm oil companies and smallholders.
By using electric fencing in gathering and controlling cattle, both parties got the advantages. The smallholders got less issue about cattle, for instance, palm oil tree damages, while the companies got sustainable solution to face the challenge.
McAdam also mentioned, every process in the program showed incredible transformation in cattle production in Indonesia.
“Through innovative model, collaborative partnership, and sustainable practices, SISKA would be the business not only for commerce but also delivering future basic which is more inclusive and delivering profits for both parties in agricultural landscape in Indonesia,” McAdam said. (T2)
