Minister of Agriculture: Livestock Graduate, an Asset toward Meat Self-Reliance
Minister of Agriculture, Ir. Suswono, MMA attended the Introductory Period to the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) after a coordination meeting of the United Cabinet II at Bogor Palace (6/8). Hundreds of new students and final-year students of the Faculty filled the Jannes Humuntal Hutasoit Auditorium o meet directly with the Minister of Agriculture.
Ir. Suswono, also a livestock graduate of IPB, expressed his happiness over the enthusiasm seen on the faces of the young generation for agriculture, especially livestock sector. "I warmly welcome your admittance to be educated as a reliable breeder in IPB. In accordance with the mission of IPB, that is, based on entrepreneurship, I hope the graduates of IPB in the field of livestock will become reliable breeders, "he said.
In the past, the livestock sector was still of a marginal attention, but now with the new economic growth it has become a sector with greatly increased budget. In the National Budget 2011, the Directorate General of Livestock in the Ministry of Agriculture RI has already planned to allocate 2.2 trillion rupiah for animal husbandry sector and animal health. "This budget increased almost threefold compared to the budget of 2010 amounting to 800 billion rupiah," he said.
The increase in this budget is an effort to achieve self sufficiency of meat in 2014. Currently, Indonesia imports 70 tons of beef and 400 thousand cows. This can be a great entrepreneurial opportunity for young generation. "Rather than import such many cows, we’d better empower local cows. One of the programs campaigned by the Ministry of Agriculture is The Bachelor Degree Graduates to Build Villages. Later after graduation, you can sign up to join the program "he said.
This program is to increase the production of local cows. With the provision in the capital assistance of 360 million rupiahs, the livestock graduates are expected to become a locomotive in partnership with small farmers. (mtd)
