InfoSAWIT, PONTIANAK – When palm oil plantations get much potential in Indonesia, there would be a chance to get business diversification namely by developing palm oil – cow integrated program. Chairwoman of Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA) West Kalimantan, Purwati Munawir, as a mother of three said that cattle beef demands could be increasing as same as the increasing population but the supply in this country is not available and should import from overseas.
“Palm oil – cow integrated program could be developed because palm oil can be the source of woof for cows, the feces could be source of biogas, and in some location, cows could be a transportation to carry fresh fruit bunch. Cows could be additional source of income for smallholders,” she recently said to InfoSAWIT.
That is why Purwati who joined palm oil sector since 1989 thought, palm oil – cow development positively needs action by having technical study about agro-climate and locations in West Kalimantan Province.
This model has some challenges, such as, the first, it needs deeper study to confirm that cow breeding in palm oil plantations should be technically and economically worth. The second, it needs capacity building for many palm oil plantation companies and their partners to technically and economically understand it to breed cows.
The third, it needs available fund facilitation to procure, breed, nursery, and other supporting things. The fourth, it needs guarantee for stakeholders because the needs and treatment for cows are different from palm oil plantations. The fifth, it needs spirits and supports from regional government and other related stakeholders. (T2)
