How the ACB, through the Small Grants Programme, capacitated cattle farmers in the buffer zone of Way Kambas National Park in Indonesia to improve their livelihood and avoid encroachment in the park.
Situated at the buffer zone of WKNP, Braja Kencana Village has great potential in livestock farming as 60to 80 per cent of the community depends on it for livelihood. However, poor pen management and low-quality feeds, especially during the dry season, have been their greatest adversaries in achieving full productivity and quality. Farmers also spend up to 35 hours a week cutting tons of grass in the park to feed their cattle, putting pressure on its ecosystem.
To address these issues, Yayasan Peduli Konservasi Alam Indonesia (PEKA) partnered with a forest farmers group in Braja Kencana called the KTH Wana Jaya Kencana to make livestock farming more efficient andsustainable, as well as minimise its impact on the forest.
Supported by a grant from SGP, they embarked on a project that sought to boost productivity, improve pen management, ensure a steady feed supply during dry seasons by using innovative and healthy feedalternatives, and reduce grass cutting.
By the end of 2022, PEKA successfully trained 30 members of KTH Wana Jaya Kencana in alternative feed production and pen management. Through the grant provided to them, they were able to secure a digitallivestock scale and alternative feed processing facilities consisting of a chopper unit, land rental for 2,500 square metres, 8,000 grass seeds, 30 fermentation barrels, and plastic rolls for 30 fermentation tanks.
Additionally, two tons of feed concentrate, and 30 litres of Effective Microorganism-4 (EM4) were distributed to 30 members of KTH Wana Jaya Kencana to help increase the weight of livestock. The project also supplied essential pen management tools such as 30household compost processors, 30 shovels, and five cattle floor models to enhance farming practices.
Members of the KTH Braja Kencana enhanced their livestock farming methods and technologies through site visits to the Livestock Office (East Lampung District), Bogor Agricultural University, and PT Indo Prima Beef. PEKA also facilitated a capacity-building comparative study at PT Indo Prima Beef. Furthermore, animal feed laboratory test results from the Feed Technology Lab, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Bogor Agricultural University,are expected to bolster KTH Wana Jaya Kencana’s ability to produce and market high- quality feed in the future.
“We appreciated the lessons on how to find good alternative food without encroaching on the national park’s forests, specifically how to plant and harvest our own King Grass and Pak Chong to feed our cattle. Through the grant provided by SGP, we also learned how to make our own concentrates to improve nutritive balance,” shared Didik Sudebyo, head of KTH Wana Jaya Kencana.
Didik Sudebyo (right most) and members of KTH Wana Jaya Kencana appreciate the learning opportunities they received through an SGP grant
Didik and his fellow KTH member, Jarwo, observed that their cows are growing faster and healthier. “Their weight is increasing because of all the nutrients they are getting,” Jarwo said. They measure the cows’ weight using scales provided by SGP. “By knowing the weight of the cow, we cannot be fooled by buyers,” he added.
PEKA reported a 15 per cent increase in meat productivity from October to December 2022 due to good pen management and the use of alternative feeds like silage and concentrate. Farmers from KTH Wana Jaya Kencana shared that with the help of PEKA and SGP, they were able to increase the selling price of their cows by 30 per cent. Additionally, they no longer need to spend many hours gathering grass in the park.
“The community also generated IDR 6,215,000 (EUR 362.12) from weighing services offered to other livestock farmers and sales of concentrate and King Grass as of February 2023,” said Rado Puji Santoso, project manager from PEKA, in the project completion report.
Keen on saving for capital to purchase their own land for planting grass, further expanding their business, and starting a compost business, KTH Wana Jaya Kencana members agreed not to distribute profits among themselves yet. “We are very enthusiastic to learn more and grow more,” Didik said.
In addition to the economic benefits, the project has lessened the farmers’ dependence on the forest, as grass harvesting within WKNP was reduced by 1.53 tons per day. “In the past, we used to go to the forest to cut grass whenever we needed food for our cattle. We were worried about the impact on the park’s ecosystem. Now, we have alternative sources of food for our livestock,” Didik said.
With the improvements observed among the cattle of the KTH’s members and their additional income-generating activities, many community members from both inside and outside Braja Kencana aspire to join thegroup. Paying forward to the help it has gathered from SGP and PEKA, Didik and other members of the group areeager to share their knowledge on the best cattle-raising practices with other farmers within and outside their village.
