Sheep Breeding with Rotation Grazing

Efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in meat, especially for Muslims to strengthen their aqidah (faith) by means of qurban and aqiqah, are still facing many obstacles. The main obstacle is the number of seed sheep which are difficult to obtain because of the large number of productive females that are slaughtered for both aqiqah and daily consumption. Muslims are important and obligated by law (fardhu kifayah) or as a collective obligation to raise sheep to achieve the above objectives. Do not let Muslims can not perform these prayers because there are no livestock, especially sheep. Of course, it is also not good if because they are reluctant to raise sheep, Muslims will have to buy sheep from non-Muslims, even though the number in Indonesia is the majority and is also the largest in the world.

There are at least two things to overcome the problem of the sustainability of the supply of sheep, namely, firstly with a set of regulations to provide strict sanctions and provide a deterrent effect for anyone who is proven to slaughter productive females, and secondly, by increasing the production of seed sheep or lamb breeds as much as possible so that they can keep pace with the rate of productive ewes that are slaughtered. In the first point, although there is  a regulation, in fact it is difficult to implement because the government is not firm and the light sanctions. While in the second point, anyone can do it, so it seems that the second point is easier to do.

The location of sheep farming can be done anywhere, whether in villages, mountain slopes, forest edges and even in urban areas. These livestock models adapt to the characteristics of the location, especially regarding the source of feed. For example, in urban areas with limited land, the sheepfolds must even be leveled, with feed sources especially from food industry wastes. In the food industry, the main product are for human food and by-products or waste for animal feed, such as tempe and tofu factories, noodle factories, biscuit factories and so on. Meanwhile, in rural areas with large areas of land, grazing is also very possible. Grazing will save on feed costs and is very suitable for seed sheep production or breeding. While rotation grazing is a better grazing technique so that the efficiency and performance of the farm is better. Even on land that is close to an energy plantation, apart from grazing with abundant sources of feed, a feed factory can also be built in that location. And basically the more models with various variations, the more regions in Indonesia that can be worked on for self-sufficiency in meat especially halal meat.

In rotation grazing, the grazing area will be divided into paddocks. And basically the more paddocks, the better because pasture can be utilized as a source of animal feed to the fullest. In general to start with 5 to 10 paddock with each paddock for grazing 3 to 7 days then rested 25-30 days. Of almost all rotation grazing practices, 4 paddock is the minimum number to start with. The square shape is the best shape for the paddock, so try to get as close to it as possible. The shape of the small elongated and circular paddock is not good because it is more difficult to achieve an even utilization of grass by livestock.

By increasing its production centers, the problems of seed sheep will be overcome. Of course this takes time and continuous effort. The unused, marginal and critical lands which amount to millions of hectares can be converted into the livestock area. Divine motivation to strengthen aqidah and part in enforcing Islamic law will continue to motivate Muslims to raise sheep farming, in addition to meeting their daily protein needs in the form of meat. The people's culinary shift from protein consumption of chicken meat to duck meat and currently more and more lamb is consumed. The halal industry should also be growing with Muslim business actors themselves. 

Utilization of Marginal Land and Former Coal Mines for Ruminant Livestock and Charcoal Briquette Production

Photo is taken from here

The extent of marginal land including critical land and unused land which reaches more than 6 million hectares as well as ex-coal mining land which is estimated to reach 8 million hectares are environmental problems that must be overcome. Turning these lands back into productive land so that apart from preventing a bigger environmental disaster, it also provides other benefits for human life. One solution to this problem is to plant the land with pioneer plants of the leguminoceae group whose roots firmly grip the soil and are in symbiosis with azetobacter so that it fertilizes the soil such as calliandra and gliricidia as well as its leaves as a source of animal feed, flowers for honey production, and the wood for the production of charcoal briquettes. Or in other words, the establishment of the plantation besides having environmental benefits as an effort for conservation and land reclamation along with water conservation, of course, also provides benefits for ruminant livestock or the production of animal feed and the production of charcoal briquettes. Ruminant farms, namely sheep, goats and cattle, are very suitable to be developed using the leaves of the plantation. The combination with charcoal briquettes, namely by using the wood, is an ideal combination or integration. In a number of countries the charcoal briquettes are used as fuel for grilling BBQ from lamb, goat and beef. So in addition to all parts of the tree can be utilized also even the final product of livestock in the form of meat and wood processing so that it becomes charcoal briquettes also meet again. An interesting and unique blend or integration.

The need for red meat, namely lamb, goat and beef in the country itself is still lacking, so it requires an adequate supply. In terms of goat and lamb meat, the need for the Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi) area alone has not been met, so it is supplied alternately from East Java, Central Java and Lampung alternately. In addition, according to Aspaqin (Association of Indonesian Aqiqah Entrepreneurs) there has been an imbalance in the supply of sheep and goats due to the large number of female productive sheep and goats being slaughtered. This condition causes the sustainability of the supply of sheep and goats to be disrupted. According to data from Aspaqin that they collected, 63% of female sheep and goats were slaughtered from a total of 331,693 slaughtered tails. Of course there are still many who are not recorded because there are still many aqiqah entrepreneurs who are not members of the Aspaqin. In addition, there are also many stalls for eating goat dishes, such as satay stalls which still slaughter productive sheep and female goats. Aspaqin continues to strive for education and socialization to improve these conditions, including a proposal to provide punishment for the slaughter of these productive females.

Meanwhile, in the beef cattle sector, Indonesia has the advantage of fattening cattle (feedlot). With the availability of a lot of agricultural wastes and agro-industrial wastes in Indonesia, this business is very competitive, even indonesia is the best. Moreover, this is by creating a plantation that is specifically designed for the feed source by utilizing land that can be said to be unproductive at first. By only taking about 100-120 days, the fattening was successful or completed, although in general, breeder or seed cattle are generally still imported from Australia. Australia, especially northern Australia is the center of the seed cattle. With the vast grazing area there, the cost of producing feeder cattle is very competitive and cannot be done well in Indonesia. Although there are a number of discourses to produce seed cattle in eastern Indonesia and palm oil plantations, the facts are still not or are still very minimal. In addition, according to Gapuspindo (Indonesian Beef Cattle Farmers Association), the domestic demand for beef has not been met or there is still a shortage of around 60% and this shortage is filled by imports of buffalo meat from India. Buffalo meat from India actually has to be sold cheaper than beef, but in fact it is the same as beef. This condition is getting worse, especially in the period leading up to the Eid al-Fitr holiday with lots of illegal meat circulating, such as wild boar meat.

Charcoal briquettes are a product of wood processing from the plantation. The production of charcoal briquettes using wood raw materials must also be managed properly so that it can be sustainable. The important thing to note is that the harvest of wood for the production of charcoal briquettes should not exceed the production of wood from the plantation itself, for example the need for wood for the production of briquettes is 1000 tons / month, the speed of wood production from the plantation is at least the same as the wood harvested every month. Charcoal briquette production techniques are also available in 2 options or routes such as the scheme below. However, route 1, which is briquetting before carbonization, is more in demand because the quality of the briquettes produced is better. In this route, the wood biomass raw material has been downsized so that the particle size is suitable for the production of the briquettes and the dryness level has also been adjusted and then briquetted or pressed in a briquette machine without using additional adhesive. The briquette product is then carbonized so that it becomes the final product in the form of charcoal briquettes or commonly known as sawdust charcoal briquette.

 

Photo is taken from here

In addition to domestic consumption, sheep and goats are also export commodities to a number of countries. Information obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture's Pusdatin (Centre of datas and informations) that Indonesian sheep and goats have been exported, among others, to Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Basically, the choice to do sheep and goat export business is the choice of the breeders or farmers  themself and the specifications for the export market are also different for local needs. If the local market generally uses sheep and goats weighing 25-35 kg per head, the export market generally requires a weight above 35 kg per head. For example, for a large market for sheep and goats, Saudi Arabia, especially during the hajj season, reaches around 2 million heads or a quarter of the country's needs, which means it reaches 8 million heads per year.

And lastly, basically the need for food, especially animal protein and more specifically from ruminants sheep, goats and cattle will continue to increase along with the increase in the population itself. The world population is estimated to reach 10 billion in 2050 or 1.3 times today and Indonesia's population will reach 319 million in 2045 or 1.2 times from today. Another thing that deserves attention is Indonesia's demographic bonus. The demographic bonus with the dominance of the productive young generation should be a separate strength for the Indonesian nation if it is supported and directed properly. This sector is certainly one solution. With the vast land area in Indonesia that can be used for this business, God willing, it will overcome various important problems today such as food security, preventing environmental damage, creating jobs, improving living standards, improving food quality and so on.     

Sheep and Goat Farming Based on Energy Plantation

The need for food, especially animal protein, continues to increase along with population growth. Meat, especially from sheep and goats, is a source of animal protein that is a favorite of many people. It is estimated that the world's population will reach 10 billion in 2050 and especially Indonesia's population of 319 million in 2045. Greater Jakarta or Jabodetabek is the most densely populated area in Indonesia so that the need for food, especially animal protein, lamb and goat meat is getting bigger. Currently these areas bring in the needs of lamb and goat meat from Central Java, East Java and Lampung alternately depending on the availability of supplies for each area. This is because no single region is able to meet the needs of Jabodetabek alone. Or if these areas can always supply the needs of Jabodetabek on a regular basis then the business can continue to be sustainable and stable but of course it can overcome the obstacles in the sheep and goat business.

It turns out that a number of problems surround the sheep and goat business including the availability of seeds, breeding skills, availability of feed, marketing chain and so on. Simple things such as the availability of seeds. Although breeders in general have not used superior seeds, the availability of seeds is also a problem because many productive females are slaughtered. This is mainly due to the business competition factor, because the price of males is more expensive which makes female goats slaughtered even though this disrupts the sustainability of the livestock business. Aspaqin (Indonesian Aqiqah Entrepreneurs Association) noted that 63% of the female members were slaughtered from a total of 331,693 slaughtered tails. Of course there are still many who are not recorded because there are still many aqiqah entrepreneurs who are not members of the Aspaqin. In addition, there are also many restaurants for eating lamb dishes, such as satay that still slaughter productive female goats.

Of course it would also be better if the sheep and goat that became the seed was the preferred or superior sheep and goat so that the quantity and quality of meat was better. The feed-to-meat conversion factor in superior sheep and goat is also higher, making it more profitable. And this is mainly the responsibility of research institutions. Dorper sheep and Bohr goats are the superior types of sheep and goat. However, there is an easier way to maintain the sustainability of the sheep farm, namely by reducing or even prohibiting the slaughter of productive female sheep and goat. In this way, the continuity of sheep and goat seeds can be maintained and even more developed. To be able to realize this, of course, requires efforts from all parties. Providing incentives or sanctions can be done to support this.

The problem of skill of the breeder is also another obstacle. Most of the sheep and goat breeders are small farmers with traditional farming techniques. This makes it difficult when used to meet routine requests, especially large quantities. Modern farming patterns must be carried out to become a reliable livestock industry as the foundation of the livelihood of these farmers. Only with this effective pattern and efficient farming can be implemented. With good preparation supported by these skills, sheep and goats livestock industry players are able to carry out sheep and goat  farming intensively so that they are expected to be able to supply the meat needs.

Sheep and goats farming is not only an effort to fulfill food sources, especially animal protein in the form of meat and milk, it is also a part of perfecting Islamic law. The population that continues to increase means that Muslim babies born to their parents are ordered to perform aqiqah. In addition, the celebration of Eid al-Adha which is held every year also requires sheep and goats as a sacrificial animal. Sheep even as sacrificial animals have many advantages over other livestock even though they are both halal such as goats, camels and cows. In the verse (Qur’an 6:143-144), the eight pairs of animals (4 pairs) are two (pairs) of sheep, a pair of goats, a pair of camels and a pair of cows. Rules in the Qur'an, something that is mentioned first has precedence over what follows. Another indication of the virtue of sheep can also be found in the event of Qurban, namely when Prophet Ibrahim was ordered by Allah SWT to slaughter his son, Ismail, then by Allah SWT saved Ishmael and replaced him with a large sheep. Then we commemorate this event every year and become the law of Qurban on Eid al-Adha every 10 Dzulhijah.

The development of energy plantations, which is increasingly being echoed lately, with the main product in the form of wood for the production of biomass fuel, both wood chips and wood pellets, will also produce waste or by-product in the form of leaves. The leaves of calliandra or gliricidia are rich in protein content so they are very good as a source of animal feed for the sheep and goats. The number of leaves produced will also be very large so that the potential for sheep and goat farms to be developed will also be very large. Even to meet the needs of sheep and goat seeds, any import is allowed under current regulations. This can also be very similar to a large capacity beef cattle feedlot, where cow seed are imported from Australia, read here for more details. The focus of sheep and goat fattening can also be very effective and efficient or has advantages such as in beef cattle if it is carried out in Indonesia. Leaf waste from energy plantations can be a potential feed.

In addition to domestic consumption, sheep and goat can also be used as an export commodity. For domestic purposes such as qurban and aqiqah, generally small sheep and goats are used, which weighs around 25-35 kg. As for the export market, sheep and goats needs usually require a weight of 35 kg and above. The export market can be a separate segment and is also basically the choice of the farmer himself. Sheep and goat farmers from Indonesia have also exported sheep and goats to a number of countries including Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and Timor Leste as shown in the table above.      

Beef Cattle Fattening (Feedlot) Based on Energy Plantation

The photo taken from here

Indonesia has the advantage of intensively fattening cattle. A number of factors such as the availability of agricultural wastes, agro-industrial wastes, forestry wastes and low labor costs, support these advantages. In addition to the price of seed cow, the feed factor is indeed the next determining factor. With these advantages, Indonesia can focus on fattening beef cattle. If this is done, it is not impossible for meat self-sufficiency or at least meat imports to be reduced. The increasing import of buffalo meat from India should be gradually reduced, in line with the readiness of the domestic beef cattle fattening industry. It takes time and effort is not simple, obviously but must be done.

Import of Seed Cows from Australia, photo from here

Ideally, seed cows are produced domestically, this is because Indonesia has the potential for this in the form of potential grazing areas in eastern Indonesia and palm oil plantations. But the fact is that the implementation is still very minimal or even those who are focused on working in this field do not yet exist. Based on a number of studies that cattle breeding is only effective and efficient in grazing areas. This is what makes Australia superior in the supply of seed cows. The large place and long time in the pasture are obstacles for Indonesia to be independent of seed cow. The export destination of seed cow from Australia is Indonesia and mainly supplied from northern Australia. This type of grass that lives in Australia is also not very suitable for fattening, so exporting it is one of the best options. Meanwhile, cattle fattening (feedlot) in Indonesia only takes 100-120 days with the use of limited cage space. The cattle population in Australia is quite large or almost the same as the total population or the ratio is 1 person to 1 cow, while in Indonesia it is much smaller. Cooperation in supplying seed cows from Australia to be fattened in Indonesia has also been going on for decades. There are efforts to reduce the import of seed cow, but it seems that it will still take a long time.

The development of energy plantation with the main objective of producing wood pellets or biomass fuel, has waste or by-product in the form of leaves. The leaves are very good for cattle feed especially with high protein content. With an area of thousands or even millions of hectares that has been declared, the by-products or leaf waste produced will also be very large, of course. With this alone, if Indonesia wants to focus on fattening, the opportunity to become a leader in the cattle fattening industry in Asia and even the world will be even greater. If that happens, the import of buffalo meat from India and beef from Brazil can be reduced or even stopped altogether. In addition, even when there is excess meat production, meat export is also very possible, including by processing the meat so that it provides greater added value.   

Opportunity to Export Animal Feed Protein Sources to Europe

Meat and milk are sources of protein for human obtained from animals, especially ruminants, then meat and eggs from poultry and meat from fish. Availability of sufficient animal protein is needed. Protein deficiency will be bad for health. The livestock industry plays an important role for the adequacy of animal protein today. To produce animal protein in the form of meat and milk, a protein source, namely vegetable protein, is needed in the feed source for the ruminant livestock. Gliricidia and calliandra leaves from energy plantations are a source of protein for the ruminants (sheep, goats and cows). The development of energy plantations should also encourage the livestock industry. This is important for the makers or entrepreneurs of the energy plantation to understand.

Learning from European conditions, according to a study conducted by FEFAC (European Feed Manufacturers' Federation), there is a protein deficit condition in the feed industry sector in Europe and for that they have made a number of efforts to obtain environmentally friendly feed protein sources and sustainable. Deficit is a condition where the consumption or use of protein for the feed has exceeded its production. This means that European production in the form of protein sources for animal feed is still far from its needs so that imports cannot be avoided as a result. Although it is estimated that they will not be able to replace 100% of feed protein sources by one mean alone, which as long as most are imported but reducing this dependence with local production of feed protein would be very helpful. Another motivation is to reduce dependence on protein sources from transgenic materials (GMOs), namely soybean.

Their first effort was the use of PAP (processed animal protein). The use of PAP is indeed high in nutrition, and the source of PAP for the feed is chicken and pork. Although a rule has been made that chicken PAP is not allowed to feed chickens and pork PAP is not allowed to feed pigs plus a tool to detect it, in practice this is difficult to be implemented. This is because feed mills that operate are generally multi-purpose feed so that it can be used for various types of livestock. Very few feed mills make specialty feeds. In fact, if it occurs, for example, PAP chickens for chicken feed and PAP pigs for pig feed, then a disease may occur in the livestock. An example is in the case of mammalian meat and bone meal (MBM). In 1996 with the crisis of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) because it was related to feeding from MBM for ruminant feed. The BSE-infected meat causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, which poses a high risk to the human food chain. After the epidemic spread, the use of MBM in animal feed was banned. This regulation causes a high dependence on imported raw materials such as soybean meal for the continuity of the supply of meat, milk and eggs.

The second effort is protein production from insect farming. Although it can be done and a number of insect species have also been approved, the fact is that currently there are very few insect farms there, so it will still take a long time to produce sufficient volumes as a source of protein in animal feed. The source of protein from these insects is mainly for fish feed. The third effort from energy plantations is from rapeseed trees. Rapeseed meal is another source of vegetable protein. But the availability of rapeseed meal depends on European biofuel policy. Canola oil is the raw material for biodiesel in Europe. The European biofuel policy is contained in the Renewable Energy Directive 2020-2030 where the contribution of biofuels from plants for the target use in the transportation sector is up to a maximum of 7%.

The fourth effort from the rejected and expired products of the food industry. The rejected and expired products of the food industry it’s mean from the food and food ingredients industries, such as the biscuit industry, instant noodles, chocolate bars, pasta and so on. But what is meant is not food waste from restaurants, or catering. EFFPA, the European Former Foodstuff Processing Association estimates that in the European Union around 3.5 million tons of food waste is processed into animal feed every year. The European Union encourages the use of rejected and expired food, including issuing guidelines to reduce food waste to become feed, because it is not fit for human consumption. They have also discussed protein sources from micro algae or single-celled plants, but they are not a priority at this time due to quality and some limitations. 

The importance of realizing the potential as well as improving the vision for optimizing the energy plantation. GMO problems, for example, the use of gliricidia leaves can be the solution, for more details read here. “Quality protein” is important because not all proteins are equal. Several parameters for protein quality are the amino acid profile and the absence of anti-nutritional substances. For example, soybean meal has high scores for all protein quality parameters including palatability, digestibility and safety. A case that can also be used as a reference, in 2007 there was a withdrawal of pet food because it was contaminated with melamine and cyanuric acid (which is high in nitrogen content and identified as crude protein) in protein elements that cause kidney failure. 

The use of nitrogen from the above chemical is also carried out in agricultural products and has also led to the withdrawal of agricultural products from China in South Africa, the European Union and the United States. Even America ordered the USDA to inspect all agricultural products from China. In 2008 and 2009 China focused on eliminating the problem of counterfeiting or mixing and the effects of the crisis. In 2010 a revised version of the feed and feed additive regulations was published to further ensure quality and safety. Even though China is the largest feed producer in the world, the need for feed raw materials still relies on imports, especially flour/soybean meal to support food needs in the form of meat, milk and eggs for around 1.3 billion people.

From a number of efforts by the European Union to plan for self-sufficiency in feed protein sources, it turns out that the source of protein from rapeseed energy plantataions has become a European priority at this time. Meanwhile, with Indonesia's condition which has a large area of land, there are many energy plantations that can be created, even the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has planned 12.7 million hectares for energy plantations as an effort to support the cofiring program at coal power plants in Indonesia more detail read here. Energy plantation by-products will also be abundant. The production of this leaf can be used as an export commodity to Europe, because the need is large. Animal feed production in Europe is estimated at 160 million tons per year or 16% of the world with 5000 units of feed factories. With the consumption of protein in the feed in the range of 30%, the need will reach 48 million tons. When the domestic feed industry has not been able to absorb it, export is the best choice.

 

Ruminant is herbivore so that their diet comes from plants, the case of MBM in Europe can be a valuable lesson that feeding from mammals actually creates new problems. Moreover, if the food category is najis, then the livestock will become jalalah which are prohibited (haram) to be consumed. Meanwhile, the case of mixing with hazardous chemicals that occurred in China with melamine and cyanuric acid is only to trick the protein content so that it looks high and is also harmful to the health of the human body. Islam is very concerned about food or food issues, even in the Qur'an Letter of 'Abasa: 24, Allah commands humans to pay attention to their food. The food that enters our stomach must be halal and thoyyib (good). Foods that contain harmful substances that can poison the body are not thoyyib foods. And one of the consequences of haram (prohibited) food is a barrier to prayer being answered.        

Planning Long-Term Feed Supply

Feed is the highest cost component in animal husbandry with a share of about 70%. Thus, feed has an important role for the sustainability of the business. Planning in the provision of good feed will reduce the risk of failure, including a decrease in the production of these farms. Maintaining the high performance of the livestock industry is not an easy thing, of course, including maintaining the quality and quantity of the feed. Feed planning for long-term supply needs to be done carefully and comprehensively so that livestock business can be optimal. Seasonal factor is an important factor in the availability of the feed. The success rate and the amount of profit earned can also be predicted better.

In commercial business, ruminant feed, especially sheep, goats and cattle, is generally easier to obtain than poultry or chicken feed. Imports of soybean meal have been carried out for the poultry or chicken feed. Chicken meat is still ranked 1st as a source of animal protein in Indonesia with a portion of around 70%. Whereas for the ruminants above, generally the feed can be provided by local food sources such as grasses and legume plants. But along with the narrowing of the land that can be used for forage crops, the more limited the availability of feed for livestock, especially for pasture. This condition makes it difficult for ruminant farms to be developed in large capacities or industry-oriented. Energy plantations with an area of up to thousands of hectares are expected to be a solution for this.

The development of energy plantations itself is closely related to the use of renewable energy, especially biomass, both locally / domestically and globally. In line with the bioeconomy era, the use of fossil fuels as well as for the manufacture of various other products is reduced, so biomass will receive more attention and will be increasingly used. This should be in line with the growth of the ruminant livestock sector and the halal industry in general. Related to animal feed, there are 3 important things that need to be considered, namely nutrition, safety and sustainability. Apart from these factors, technological, logistics and good management factors also play an important role in the long-term sustainability of the feed supply. If all the elements of feed (fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, etc.) can be fulfilled from local / domestic sources so that the price is cheaper, the livestock business will be more competitive. Meanwhile, if it depends on imports, the cost of feed will be expensive and the livestock business will be less competitive so that the output of meat and milk products as a source of protein will also be expensive. And don't let the domestic animal feed production grow, say 5 times but imports of raw materials 15 times.

Biochar for Chicken Farming

With the fast growth of the human population in the world and in line with the need for food or more specifically protein in the form of meat and eggs, the chicken farming industry has become a heavy burden. The projection of protein demand in 2050 is estimated to increase by 69% and almost half of it will come from chicken farms. The main focus of research and development in chicken farming today is how to meet the protein needs above. And that is only possible by developing new technologies to increase the efficiency of the use of feed nutrients in these chickens.

In 2017, global animal feed production has exceeded 1 billion tonnes for the first time and the livestock industry sector accounts for almost half of it, namely 44% of the total feed production or means more than 440 million tonnes alone. With the growth in world population, there is no doubt that the need for feed will also continue to increase. In addition, there is a real environmental impact on the dependence of soybeans from the United States and Brazil as a source of protein for these poultry or chicken farms. Environmental problems are also getting bigger with the presence of nitrogen compounds from the farm in the water flow and pollution of ammonia gas emissions (NH3). In addition, the use of feed with excessive protein content increases the tendency for disease to occur and increases the need for water by the chickens, which causes the problem of dung to become wet and soggy.

There has also been an increase in the use of other protein sources as ingredients for chicken feed, such as legume, peas and so on. But currently its use is still limited due to the compatibility of amino acids, mycotoxins and ease of pelletization. Feed pellet technology is a spectacular 20th century invention that continues to evolve today, for more details read here. The use of low protein feed and the high absorption of these nutrients can be a solution to the problem of ammonia pollution. Biochar can be added as a feed supplement (feed additive) to increase the efficiency of the feed conversion. Biochar in the internal body of the chicken will be able to deactivate a number of toxins and activate microbes either in the chicken intestine or improve the digestive system of the animal. This can be indicated by the rapidly increasing vitality of livestock.

Meanwhile, external factors that affect the health and productivity of chickens are the cleanliness of the cage. Feed factors and house hygiene including air circulation are very important to maintain the survival and productivity level of the chicken farm. The more population with a high density of chicken farms, the greater the pressure on disease. The high nutrient or protein content in chicken manure plus humid conditions is an ideal location for a number of germs to breed. In addition, ammonia emissions are also very damaging to the environment because they will form nitrous oxide (N2O), acidifying soil and eutrophication of waters.

The use of biochar as a feed additive and treatment of manure will minimize the two main problems mentioned above, namely livestock health and environmental pollution. In the end, with the health of the livestock is maintained, the level of livestock productivity is also well maintained. The quality of biochar for feed additives is also different from that of manure treatments. This is of course because the main uses and purposes are different. Biochar for the feed additive needs to be designed in such a way that the grade as a feed additive is met, such as by using selected biomass raw materials, modern pyrolysis technology so that control of the production process can be carried out properly from handling to packaging. As for the use of livestock manure treatment, the quality of biochar is lower, including the use of biomass raw materials, pyrolysis technology and so on. For more details, like the diagram below.

According to a number of studies, adding up to 0.6% biochar in feed increases chicken growth by an average of 17% and it is recommended to mix 0.4-0.6% biochar in the daily feed. Broiler chickens that were given biochar supplements reportedly increased their body weight by 5-10%. If 0.5% of biochar is used as a source of chicken feed additives for world chicken or poultry feed production, the potential need for biochar is 220,000 tonnes annually. And if the chicken manure is used for energy production in the biogas unit, the addition of biochar increases methane (CH4) production and the compost quality of the digestate.

Modern Ruminant Livestock Paradigm: Reducing Methane Production and Increasing Feed Efficiency

The gases in the atmosphere that can capture the sun's heat are called greenhouse gases (GHG). Which includes greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, among others, are carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and freon (SF6, HFC and PFC). Methane gas (CH4) is a dangerous gas for the earth's atmosphere and one of the greenhouse gas groups above because of the destructive power of methane gas 21 times carbon dioxide (CO2). This requires efforts to prevent methane gas and reduce its production. An example is the use of POME waste or palm oil mill effluent for biogas production. In this way, methane occurring in the open air (aerobic) will be avoided (methane avoidance scenario) and will not be released into the atmosphere with the biogas unit. The livestock sector also has the potential to produce, namely the group of ruminant farms or ruminant animals. The methane is produced in the ruminant's rumen as part of the digestion process. It is estimated that the contribution of methane from ruminant livestock is dominant and of course it needs to be reduced. The production of methane gas (CH4) besides being an environmental problem also causes a lot of energy loss in livestock. And it turns out that there is a process of reducing methane production which simultaneously improves health and increases body weight and milk production.

Large ruminant farms should be more aware of this condition and have a greater incentive to reduce methane production. Biochar is a feed supplement that can be used for the above purposes. The use of 1-3% biochar from dry feed ingredients has been shown to significantly increase body weight gain in beef cattle, as well as milk production in dairy cows. Experiments in Australia on beef cattle for 2 months have given a weight gain of 10% compared to those who do not use biochar. As for dairy cows, it has provided a profit of $ 70,000 per year. For more details, read here. Meanwhile, the reduction in methane gas emissions is estimated at 29% from the use of biochar. Once paddle 2-3 islands, so the saying goes.

Another effect of using biochar as a feed additive is that livestock manure becomes denser and less smelly. Biochar can also be used alone to deal with the smell and viscosity of livestock manure, so that the cage becomes cleaner and does not smell strong. In addition, if the manure is used for production, the biogas production will also increase, for more details, please read here. The composted digestate will also produce better organic fertilizer (compost) because of the additional biochar.

The quality of biochar is also very important, especially for animal feed supplements. Meat and milk are livestock production to meet human food needs, so that it will also affect humans in the end. The quality of biochar is determined by the raw materials used and the production process carried out. This indicates that not all biochar has the same quality, for example biochar from agricultural wastes with high ash content with traditional processes, with wood biomass raw materials with a small ash content and modern processes, of course the results are different, for example using the same modern technology will have different results. The differences mainly lie in their physical chemistry properties.

Biochar production should also be designed according to its objectives, for example the biochar feed supplement above must use selected biomass raw materials and modern processes so that the quality is stable and maintained. Meanwhile, the reference for biochar quality can be OMRI, USDA or IBI. World feed livestock associations or organizations such as FEFAC, IFIF and AFIA are currently very concerned about safety and sustainability, so this can be in line with biochar as a feed additive. Biochar as a feed additive, especially dairy cattle, has been accepted by almost all European Union countries. Meanwhile, for purposes such as reducing odors and the dilution of impurities, biochar is produced from any biomass and even by using simple technology (low tech).

Biomass Cofiring, Energy Plantation and Ruminant Animal Husbandry

Biomass cofiring with coal in coal power plants in Indonesia as a PLN (Indonesia electricity state owned company) program to support the use of renewable energy, especially biomass, could be the closest momentum for energy plantations. The program is also an effort to achieve the target of using renewable energy of 23% by 2025, while until now it is still less than 5%. In 2020 the cofiring program has been initiated with a target of 37 coal power plants but in practice 20 coal power plants have been implemented. While in total there are 114 coal power plant units owned by PLN that have the potential for cofiring, spread across 52 locations with a total capacity of 18,154 megawatts (MW) as a target of completion in 2024. The details consist of 13 coal power plant locations in Sumatra, 16 coal poer plant locations in Java, 10 locations in Kalimantan, 4 locations in Bali, NTB and NTT, 6 locations in Sulawesi, and 3 locations in Maluku and Papua. Meanwhile, the cofiring ratio ranges from 1-5% biomass with an estimated biomass requirement of 9-12 million tons per year.

And recently there has also been an agreement between PLN and Perhutani (Indonesia forestry state owned company) and PTPN III (Indonesia agriculture state owned company) to supply biomass for the cofiring program, for further information, please read here. In this case, PLN is the owner of the coal power plants, while Perhutani owns the resources of industrial plantation forest areas both in Java (Perhutani) and outside Java (Inhutani) which can be developed as energy plantations or energy forests. Likewise with PTPN III with its land which can also be used for this energy plantation. Gliricidia sepium and red calliandra (calliandra calotyrsus) are two species of fast-rotating crops that are most likely to be used for these energy plantations. If every 4,000 hectares produces a production of 10,000 tons / month of wood pellets or 120,000 tons / year, at least 400,000 hectares are needed to meet the 1-5% cofiring target which is equivalent to 9-12 million tons per year. The potential of gliricidia leaves or calliandra will also be very abundant. And it should also encourage the growth and development of the ruminant industrial sector. Moreover, if in the future PLN increases its cofiring portion, for example 6-10% or even 20%, of course the energy plantation needed will be very large, as well as the abundant potential of gliricidia leaves or calliandra.

The Covid-19 pandemic is still ongoing with the increase in cases getting bigger in Indonesia and there is no sloping curve yet, even positive cases have penetrated more than 1 million people. It is predicted that this pandemic will become a long-term problem with indications, among others, that new variants are found so that the vaccine that has been prepared is not or less effective and the emergence of a second wave of covid outbreaks even after vaccination has forced cities and even the state to lock down. . How almighty is Allah SWT with all His will, which should further strengthen our iman and taqwa. The prolonged condition of the Covid-19 pandemic makes people afraid and avoids crowds or gatherings including professional activities such as offices and industry. This condition will also encourage the growth of efficient business activities by using various existing technologies.

Technology-based and efficient industrial developments should be the focus of the government to survive and even maintain sustainability in order to maintain the supply of goods needed by the community. Population concentrations in an area must also be reduced and properly distributed. Big cities are becoming less and less attractive. Efficient production units must be increased in number as well as their distribution should be more even. Outskirts, villages and even mountains are increasingly being enjoyed. The closer to nature or natural resource-based businesses, the more they enjoy it along with the distribution of business locations that is more evenly distributed or not accumulated in big cities. More and more world citizens also want a fairer system in regulating their lives.

Ruminants (sheep, goats and cows) farms are a potential business especially supported by the utilization of leaves waste from these energy plantations. The locations for these energy plantations are generally in forest areas which are quite far from urban areas. The leaves of gliricidia or calliandra can be processed into various forms (concentrate, hay, pellets, briquette, etc.) according to request or use. With the use of good technology, the leaves waste can be used optimally so as to support the progress of ruminant farming. The farm will also be very good if it is made near energy plantations as a source of food. To get a complete feed composition, community empowerment can be done.

World Animal Feed Production Approximately 1 billion tonnes / year and Potential Gliricidia Leaf Feed Pellets

World animal feed production is currently estimated at 1 billion tonnes per year. As a chain to fulfill human food needs, especially meat, animal feed production is very important and strategic. The major countries for producing world animal feed, namely China with a share of 19.6%, followed by a number of countries, namely America with 17.4%, Brazil 6.8%, then countries such as Mexico, Spain, India, Russia, Japan and Germany as well. are major producers of animal feed. the rest by countries around the world. Or with a combination of China, the United States, Europe and Brazil, accounting for more than 60% of world animal feed production with almost half of the feed production being poultry feed. It is estimated that there are more than 8,550 feed factories in China with a production of 179 million tons, 6,012 feed factories in America with a production of 173 million tons, 1,556 feed factories in Brazil with a production of 68 million tons. With an estimated human population in 2050 reaching 9.6 billion, it is estimated that the need for feed will be huge.

Meat is an important source of protein for humans. But for Muslims consuming meat does not only depend on the protein content of the meat, but the type of livestock, slaughtering, and processing it until it is ready for consumption must comply with Islamic law. The prohibited livestock animals cannot be farmed or even consumed because the law is haram (prohibited) for Muslims. Based on a country's animal feed production, it can also be seen what kind of livestock and meat they consume. For example, the Netherlands with about 75 feed factories, the production of animal feed reaches 12.2 million tons per year, the distribution of 5 million tons of pig feed, 3.7 million tons of beef and dairy cattle, 3.1 million tons of poultry and 0.4 million tons other livestock. Meanwhile, Turkey recorded animal feed production of 10.5 million tons with a composition of 4.2 million tons of feed for dairy and beef cattle, 4.6 million tons of poultry, and 1.5 million tons of other livestock. While globally the composition is as follows: poultry feed production is ranked first with a portion of 45%, followed by pig feed at 11%, three ruminants 10% and the rest, such as fish, domesticated and horse feed. Indonesia with a majority Muslim population should also prioritize developing a halal-based animal feed industry so that it is in line with Islamic law. Halal issues are an important and fundamental problem for Muslims in matters of food.

Sources of feed, especially its availability, are vital for animal feed production. A number of countries even have to import various raw materials for animal feed. Even in Europe and America leftovers are also used as a source of raw material for animal feed, which is estimated at 60% in Europe and 50% in the United States. Although world animal feed production reaches around 1 billion tonnes every year, basically the world's major feed producers who dominate production are not much. Currently, it is estimated that there are around 31 thousand feed factories worldwide, with a distribution of one thousand in Africa, 13 thousand in Asia, 5 thousand in Europe, 3 thousand in Latin America, 6 thousand in North America and 288 in the Middle East. Charoen Pokphand (CP), a company based in Thailand, is among the top 10 global feed mills with a production of around 27 million tonnes / year. Furthermore, the China-based company New Hope with a production of 20 million tons / year, then the American company Cargill ranks third with 19.2 million tons, followed by another American company, namely Purina Animal Nutrition with 12 million tons. Other large companies, BRF (Brazil) 11 million tons / year, Tyson Foods (USA) 10.3 million tons / year, COFCO (China) 8.3 million tons / year, Ja Zen-Noh (Japan) 7, 5 million tons / year, Shaungbaotai Group (China) 6.6 million tons / year, and Wen's Food group (China) 6.5 million tons / year.

The era of bioeconomy, which is getting closer and closer, is increasingly encouraging the use of renewable materials for various human activities such as energy, packaging, clothing and so on. The demand for sustainability is an obligation for various industries in this era, including the animal feed industry. A number of locations in Indonesia have created and launched energy plantations to welcome and be in line with the bioeconomy era. Energy or biomass plantations with the main focus on wood utilization, but have not yet utilized the potential of leaves as a by-product of these plantations. Gliricidia is a plant species that is widely used because it is a fast growing and short rotation coppice crop so that in addition to the fast harvest time there is also no need to replant until a certain time. Gliricidia leaves have high nutrition, no less protein content than palm oil cake, soy bean meal and so on, so they have the potential for animal feed production, especially feed pellets. A number of studies mention the use of gliricidia leaves as animal feed for ruminants or fish, but it is not suitable for the type of poultry.

The availability of safe, quality and affordable feed will encourage intensive livestock business. Currently, we still encounter a number of livestock that are fed in the form of municipal waste in landfills, which of course the resulting meat is not suitable for human consumption. The feed factory also indirectly encourages the improvement of food quality from meat and milk produced from livestock business. Tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of hectares of gliricidia plantations will produce abundant leaf waste that can be used as raw material for these feed pellets. Typical feed mill capacity is also proportional to the capacity of the farm or its consumers and also the availability of raw materials, for example in Turkey about 60% of feed mills with a capacity of less than 10 tons / hour, about 25% capacity 11-20 tons / hour and the rest with more capacity. of 20 tons / hour. In the end, it is hoped that with the advancement of livestock, it will be easier and more affordable to get halal meat, improve the quality of food and can be reduced and even eliminated the circulation of haram meat on the market.