I.GNT.2001 - Indonesia Cattle Genetics - Skills Development and Data Management Summary

Summary

The local cattle genetics improvement project aims to increase the Government of Indonesia (GoI) Ministry of Agriculture’s capacity to manage its local seedstock breeding programs in the pre-designated breeding areas (Wilsumbit). The project would support improvements to the current breeding management system, building personnel capabilities and tools to support ongoing program delivery.

Project activities were largely focused on strengthening key government officials’ knowledge and skills on the design, delivery and evaluation of local livestock breeding programs. Other elements that the project covered included principles around animal husbandry/production practices, database management, genetics evaluation and animal health. Activities were delivered by both Australian and Indonesian experts remotely (particularly during COVID-19 Pandemic period) and in-person to ensure that learnings would be applicable to the Indonesian context.

Objectives

The local cattle genetics improvement project aims to increase the Government of Indonesia (GoI) Ministry of Agriculture’s capacity to manage its local seedstock breeding programs in the pre-designated Wilsumbit. The project would support improvements to the current breeding management system, building personnel capabilities and tools to support ongoing program delivery.
The key activities would involve:
• stakeholder workshops to clarify GoI’s breeding objectives
• consultation and information sharing with the Indonesia Government breeding program, with emphasis on local cattle genetics evaluation and improvement
• training of personnel to build skills in implementing successful breeding programs, and
• further capacity building and information sharing to advance capabilities in breeding and data management, including through delivery of a seminar and site visits to breeding centres by Australian experts to Indonesia.

Key findings

From a technical perspective, through the breeding and genetics training workshops, the project has been successful in drawing out the challenges and opportunities in Indonesia breeding and genetic enhancement programs. There is strong understanding of the importance of clearly defining breeding objectives, data management and program evaluation. The benefits of using locally-adapted livestock and protecting local heritage breeds were reinforced, and this is made more critical with the recent disease incursions. Government officials are realistic about the level and scale of change that they can effect through their breeding centres, and within the scope of the project it had not been possible to include greater participation from farmer groups or associations.

From a policy perspective, key government officials gained a good understanding of the differences between Indonesia and Australia’s livestock systems and organisational structures, including northern vs southern production systems, data management and industry body investments, role of governments vs private enterprises in livestock management, etc. With the recent exotic animal disease outbreaks, the project has also been an effective conduit of information exchange on issues such as biosecurity, livestock identification and traceability. It would indeed be beneficial to reinforce the learnings with on-ground supply chain study tour in Australia to exchange information on best-practice cattle breeding, including in the context of biosecurity.

Benefits to industry

The project contributes to the broader breeder strategy within Indonesia – i.e. promoting the use of local cattle over imported breeders and improving personnel capabilities on breeder management, health and performance.

Through this project and technical cooperation, the desired outcome would be for Indonesian government officials to understand the challenges around breeding programs – particularly those involving non-local breeds that may not be well-adapted to local conditions – and therefore reassess breeding policies such that local cattle and genetics are favoured over imports.

This project aligns with and build on the projects conducted by Livestock Export Program and the Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Food Security in the Red Meat and Cattle Sector.

Future research

No further research to be conducted by MLA. Findings are used to inform Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Red Meat & Food Security activities.