Agricom.id, LOMBOK - Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesian Republic keeps doing the best to support animal nutrient self-sufficiency and increase animal quality and production by launching the woof bank. This is the same with the agricultural development policy namely in the animal sub sectors which contribute to the food security through the procurement of animal nutrients from livestock.

General Director of Livestock and Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Nasrullah told that the nutrient consumption from the livestock would be increasing twice more than it is in 2030. The woof bank would be one solution to support animal nutrient self-sufficiency.

“It is hardly 70 percent of the successful livestock programs depending on the preparation or the woof procurement. That is why the innovation of woof bank is developed to guarantee the woof procurement in whole year,” he said, Monday (23/11) as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He also mentioned that the program should be massive action for the farmers and breeders in the society because the woof bank could be the new commodity to increase the farmers and breeders’ economy.

He continued that in the national development policy, the agricultural development in livestock sub sector contributes to realize the food security by providing the animal nutrients from livestock.

“But it needs to escalate the livestock population and woof production to fulfill the needs. This is the function of woof bank,” he said.

He also explained that to increase the production and procure the woof sustainably, it needs to make and develop institution or woof business unit to support the procurement independently, reachable, qualified, sustainably, and should be managed to be the new business for the breeders, such as, woof bank.

Nasrullah also mentioned that his side facilitated the infrastructure helps to process the woof through Pilot Project Bank Pakan in 2020. The location is in District of Lombok Tengah, Nusa Tenggara Barat Province and District of South Lampung Selatan, Lampung Province.

About the woof bank, he mentioned that his side developed one online woof bank application. This would ease the woof bank to report the production, distribution, price online and make it as online database.

“It is hoped that by the online woof bank, the work could be monitored in real time, evaluated by both the woof bank itself or district of agency, city, province, and central government,” he said.

Meanwhile Director of Woof, General Directorate of Livestock and Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Makmun and Regional Secretary of Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) Province just launched the woof bank belonging to Kelompok Tani Ternak Bumbang Wetan in Village of Mertak, Sub district of Pujut, District of Lombok Tengah, Monday (23/11/2020).

He told that the Village of Mertak is full of woof. This is one pilot project to develop woof bank in Indonesia.

“The woof bank would manage the woof from thee fresh one to be processed one, such as, fermented or long lasted woof (silage) for ruminant livestock that could last for about one to two years,” he said.

He also mentioned that the woof bank would be led to be the center of woof process. It is hoped that there would be green concentrate which the materials are from the green plantations, such as, indigofera and lamtoro taramba that the breeders could plant.

In Village of Mertak there are about 50 hectares of grass belonging to the group to advantage; while other 20 hectares have been planted by lamtoro taramba. Besides, there are more green areas belonging to persons that could be taken to supply the woof to the woof bank.

He also mentioned that in Covid-19 pandemic, one developing and running sector to make the economy run is agriculture. He thought that the agriculture could be the price to help the economy of our country.

“Be proud and happy for being a farmer or a breeder because you could help the economy which still runs in Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) does welcome the innovation (the woof bank). It is the same with his program and leads to use technology to increase the agricultural work.

“To face the crisis, the agriculture is the option to survive. That is why let us enliven the innovation in agriculture because how great the achievement is, it would not be better if there is no technology in the future,” SYL said.

If the projects run well, it is hoped that the woof banks would be developed in other regions in Indonesia. (A2)