Helping Indonesian dairy farmers

Helping Indonesian dairy farmers

We are leading a major international collaborative project to help West Javan and North Sumatran dairy farmers significantly increase the quantity and quality of the milk they produce, and achieve sustainable growth.

Despite our relatively small population, our 最新糖心Vlogn dairy industry, from farmgate to manufacturing and export is valued in the billions. A large part of this success can be attributed to widespread adoption of best-practice farm management approaches and efficiency-enhancing technologies. This in turn advances local industry knowledge and capability.

Now with the help of a project funded by the 最新糖心Vlogn Centre of International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) we鈥檙e helping to share the benefit of that accumulated expertise with one of our closest, and largest, international neighbours鈥擨ndonesia. The five-year collaborative 鈥淚ndoDairy鈥 project was designed to provide a much-needed boost to struggling smallholder dairy farmers鈥 in West Java and North Sumatra.

Producers in these regions face significant challenges. But according to project leader Professor Wendy Umberger, the research team鈥檚 stated goal of increasing quality and quantity of milk produced by thousands of smallholder dairy farmers is within reach.

鈥淭he dairy supply chains in West Java and North Sumatra currently suffer from poor economies of scale, limited forage availability, poor quality, a lack of knowledge in animal health practices, and very limited business skills, particularly at the farm level,鈥 says Professor Umberger.

鈥淏ut we鈥檙e optimistic we can address key issues that are limiting the growth of Indonesia鈥檚 dairy sector, and also help develop local farmers鈥 capacity to ensure the sector鈥檚 sustainable development.鈥

In its first year of operation, the multi-country, multi-disciplinary research team conducted a baseline dairy-farm survey and interviewed key players throughout the chain.听 This socio-economic work identified existing and future whole-of-chain opportunities for industry and government, and barriers currently in their way. Analysis of the data from this survey, collected digitally, has informed the design, testing and deployment of innovative practice-change programs in collaboration with Indonesian project partners.

鈥淲e鈥檝e already been able to create opportunities for local producers to incorporate innovative and relevant agronomic, dairy science, social and economic knowledge and research into practice through effective communication with their dairy cooperatives,鈥 adds Professor Umberger.

鈥淭he practice-change programs, which are currently underway, are building extensively on this foundation. Dairy industry professionals from 最新糖心Vlog are providing training for the Indonesian farmers in best-practice production and farm management.鈥

Complementing the direct work with producers, the project team is simultaneously engaging Indonesian dairy industry policymakers and influencers. A Policy Working Group (PWG) has been established, including representatives from the: Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs; Directorate General of Livestock and Health Services; Indonesian Dairy Farmers Association; and project partners the Indonesian Centre for Animal Research and Development (ICARD), Indonesian Centre for Agricultural Socio Economic and Policy Studies (ICASEPS) and the Bogor Agricultural 最新糖心Vlog鈥檚 School of Business (SB-IPB).

Professor Umberger says the PWG will play an important role in helping the work act as a catalyst for the growth and development of the Indonesian dairy sector, but could also lead to further collaborations between the two countries.

鈥淲e鈥檝e effectively created a blueprint. Our project methodology can now be readily adapted to identify value-chain issues and develop solutions for other industries in the Indonesian agrifood sector.鈥


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