Field Schools Turn Farmers into Cattle Breeders
After decades of living under the poverty line as farm laborers, the people of Ngaringan village in Grobogan district, Central Java, are changing their profession are trying to pick themselves up.
They decided raising cattle would be the means by which they could change their fates. For them, breeding cattle is like making savings to support their families, and the best way to move forward.
Sumiati, 31, was really excited when she spoke on how to make silage at the communal pens in the village. That morning at the end of September, she attended a field school initiated by agricultural extension workers from the Ngaringan district office in Grobogan.
"I took part in order to understand how to take care of cattle. I have three cows," said Sumiati, whose husband works at an oil palm plantation in Kalimantan. Five women and 30 men, all farm laborers, took part in the field school.
Budi Wibowo, an agricultural extension worker for farming in Ngaringan district, said the farmers learned how to make fermented livestock feed for their cows in the training.
This is important because cows need food constantly, both during the rainy and dry seasons. During the dry season, farmers can find it difficult to find forage, such as grass and leaves, so farmers should be able to make animal feed that can be stored for a long time from natural resources.
The ingredients to produce the silage are adjusted depending on the local resources that are abundantly available. Fortunately, Grobogan grows a lot of corn. Silage is made from corn stalks that are still green, called tebon. Two tablespoons of sugarcane sap, 5 kilograms of bran, 600 milliliters of water and a spoon of liquid probiotic are added to a quintal of tebon. The mixture is stored for three weeks in plastic bags, and then it is ready to use as animal feed.
The farm workers take part enthusiastically in the field school. Sukarin, 51, a farmer in Karangdowo village, said he was not worried about difficulties in obtaining the corn stalks, because they could be cut by a machine owned by the local farmers\' group.
"I just bought sugarcane sap and liquid probiotic. We use used plastic bags," said Sukarin, who has raised four cows in two years.
Changing habits
Changing the habits of farm laborers to become husbandry farmers is not easy. As farm laborers, they work only when they have been hired for a job. As breeders, however, they must take initiative so that their business can survive and develop.
Sumiati said that the income of farm workers was miserable. At most, they made only Rp 3 million a year. If they did not raise cattle, it would be very difficult for them to meet their daily needs. Now, with her three cows, her income is pretty good.
Sukarin said that farming was like gambling right now. The needed capital was high, while profits were low. For an example, the initial capital needed for farming rice was Rp 25 million a year. About Rp 12 million of this amount is used to rent a rice field of 7,000 square meters, and the rest is used to buy seeds, fertilizers, and other cultivation needs.
The harvest should normally be able to cover the costs, but the situation was increasingly uncertain, especially during a drought. Many fields cannot be cultivated because of the lack of water for irrigation.It is fortunate that during this dry season, the farmers could grow corn. The harvest was relatively good, with a 9-ton production yield of fresh corn.
"The income is better. Besides making money from selling corn stalks, we can also use the corn husks (klobot) and corncobs as cattle feed," said Sukarin.
The people’s knowledge has increased since attending the field school. In the past, corncobs, husks, and corn stalks were fed directly to the cows, which meant that the farmers had no reserves of feed. Now, after learning how to make fermented feed, farmers do not worry anymore that their cattle will ever lack food.
Sukarin is able to save money by breeding cows. Ahead of Idul Adha (the Muslim Day of Sacrifice) in early September, he sold a cow weighing 200 kg for more than Rp 16 million.
Infertile lands
The chairman of the Lanjar Mulai Joint Farmers Group (Gapoktan) in Ngaringan village, Hardiono, said that most agricultural areas in Grobogan like Ngaringan, Wirosari, Pulokulon, and surrounding areas, were not fertile.Farmers mostly used these areas for rice and horticulture farming during the year. As production yields were not good, breeding cows could be a better option to empower the farmers.
As a mixed group of farmers and non-farmers, Gapoktan Lanjar began promoting cattle breeding in 2006. They were able to build a communal cattle pen that can accommodate about 24 cows.
After the second rice or horticultural harvest, farmers usually set aside some of their income to buy calves. A 3- to4-month-old calf was the most ideal for breeding, with prices ranging from Rp 5 million and Rp 6.5 million per head.
According to Hardiono, Ngaringan village was suitable for cattle farming because it is located near a livestock market. The village is located along the road between Semarang and Blora, which is home to the Kliwon Wirosari Animal Market, the largest cattle market in Grobogan, Pati, Blora, and surrounding areas.The market is crowded every Thursday, or Kliwonin the Javanese calendar.
At least 700 cows are traded every day. The Gapoktan Lanjar Mulia members typically have about 250 cows, which are usually sold before Idul Adha when the cattle price is high. The chairman of the Andalan Grobogan Farmers and Fishermen’s Group, Wardi, said that the field schools were very helpful for farmers. Today, each farmer has three to four cows, savings they can rely on during times of need.