Breeding crickets a good business<\/p>\n
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Crickets are usually considered ordinary insects without any
\neconomic value. They are usually found in the garden, or even
\ninside the house. Village children sometimes play with male
\ncrickets by pitting them against one another.<\/p>\n
However, in the eyes of cricket farmers grouped in the
\nIndonesian Cricket Farmers Association (Astrik), the cricket has
\na very high economic value worth billions of rupiah due to its
\nhigh protein content that reaches 57.32 percent, and is much
\nsought after by the food as well as animal feed industries.<\/p>\n
Based on an Astrik research conducted by a team led by
\nPrayitno at Jenderal Soedirman University's school of husbandry
\nin Purwokerto, Central Java, the cricket also contains amino
\nacids and functions as a natural antioxidant in the human body.<\/p>\n
\"The high protein content makes the cricket a commodity much
\nsought after by the animal feed industry as well as the cosmetics
\nand traditional medicine industries,\" said Astrik's marketing and
\npurchasing manager, Ika Nurwidya.<\/p>\n
Citing an example, Ika added that an animal feed producer in
\nEast Java alone needed 50 tons of dried crickets every fortnight,
\nnot to mention other animal feed and herbal medicine factories on
\nJava island, which could reach 200 tons.<\/p>\n
\"But we can only produce 500 kg to 1,000 kg in two weeks,\"
\nsaid Ika.<\/p>\n
Astrik's research and development manager Bagus Sigit Bayu
\nsaid that the market was still wide open for suppliers, and added
\nthat only top quality crickets with a high protein content would
\nbe accepted.<\/p>\n
To maintain quality, Astrik has developed an integrated
\nbreeding method in a partnership program with farmers in 44
\nregencies which now number around 1,000 farmers.<\/p>\n
A working package which includes cricket eggs, insect feed and
\nbreeding boxes are supplied by Astrik. Farmers have to pay Rp 1.4
\nmillion for 10 boxes, each costing Rp 10,000, four ounces of eggs
\nat Rp 60,000 per ounce, 120 kg of feed at Rp 7,500 per kg and an
\noven costing Rp 50,000.<\/p>\n
\"Each package will be able to produce 80 kilograms of crickets
\nin 35 days. Astrik will buy them at Rp 30,000 per kg. So, a
\nfarmer can reap a profit of Rp 1 million in a month,\" said Bayu.<\/p>\n
He added that the association would not accept crickets bred
\noutside its membership because their quality could not be
\nassured.<\/p>\n
\"We tried buying crickets from common farmers once. The
\ncrickets they bred had a very high water content. Only 1 kg of
\ndried crickets was derived after roasting four kg of them,
\nwhereas only 2.5 kg of live crickets bred through the program
\ncould produce one kg of dried crickets. Besides that, due to
\ninferior feeding techniques, their protein content was found to
\nbe lower too,\" said Bayu, who comes from Gunung Kidul.<\/p>\n
Dried crickets can last for six months after being vacuum
\npacked. Before being packed, live crickets are immersed in hot
\nwater at 70 degrees centigrade.<\/p>\n
They are then roasted in an oven for seven to 12 hours. A one-
\nkg pack of dried crickets can be sold at Rp 110,000.<\/p>\n
\"These crickets are also delicious, crispy when fried and
\neaten immediately,\" said Bayu, while offering a plate of fried
\ncrickets.<\/p>\n
A cricket farmer, Bambang Muntholip, 45, acknowledged that
\ncricket breeding was very simple and could be done as a pastime.
\nBesides the easy maintenance, it does not consume space and is
\nenvironmentally friendly.<\/p>\n
\"I only bred them for fun at the time. But, 30 days later, I
\nreaped a profit of Rp 700,000,\" said the former chicken breeder.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/breeding-crickets-a-good-business-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}