Kotabaru boosts cattle population through Sikomandan program

Kotabaru, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Government of Kotabaru District, South Kalimantan, is currently trying to boost the cattle and buffalo population through the domestic mainstay cattle and buffalo program (Sikomandan).

"We should increase cattle and buffalo population that has been decreasing in Kotabar," Coordinator of Livestock Breeding Service at the Kotabaru Food Security and Agriculture Office Khairus Saleh said here on Monday.

The populations have decreased, he said, because farmers still use an extensive traditional livestok system by releasing the animals on oil palm plantations, making it difficult to monitor.

"People are still used to applying the ren system or to fence off a certain area of land and release cattle and buffalo freely," he said.

By applying such system, he expounded, monitoring of the reproductive system, lust, and health would be difficult and would produce less quality animals.

Instead, by carrying out artificial insemination (IB), pregnancy ckeck(PKb), and countermeasures for reproductive disorder will increase animal population.

The program to boost cattle population by improving livestock reproduction services is a special continuation of accelerating the increase of pregnant cattle and buffalo (Upsus Siwab).

With the cooperation among all relevant agencies and partners, namely central and regional agencies, reproductive technical personnel, as well as livestock owners will be able to maximize population.

"(We hope) in the future the population can grow well, thus the demand for meat in Kotabaru will be fulfilled," he said.

Khairus Saleh hopes that the cattle and buffalo population system program in Kotabaru can meet the market needs that used to be brought in from outside.

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