Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Chairman of the People\u2019s Consultative Assembly\n(MPR) of the Republic of Indonesia, Ahmad Muzani, officially opened the\nPiala Ketua MPR RI APPSI (Indonesian Cattle Fattening Breeders\nAssociation) Cattle Contest held in Wonosobo, Central Java, on\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
In his speech, he emphasised that the welfare of cattle breeders is\none of the main indicators of national economic growth and Indonesia\u2019s\nfood security.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe organisation of this contest, which is close to the Eid al-Adha\nmomentum, is a jackpot for the breeders,\u201d said Muzani, as quoted from a\nstatement received in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
This is because, besides being a competition arena, he said, the\nevent serves as an educational space for breeders to share fattening\ntechniques, daily weight gain improvements, and mitigation of livestock\ndiseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD),\nand goitre disease.<\/p>\n
Thus, he described the contest as a way for his side to provide\nenthusiasm and spirit to the breeders.<\/p>\n
It was stated that if the breeders\u2019 income is good and they are\nthriving, Indonesia is expected to prosper, which is a sign of a moving\neconomy and growing public purchasing power.<\/p>\n
Muzani specifically highlighted the great potential of Wonosobo\nRegency as a livestock centre, especially for dairy cattle. Given that\ncurrent national milk production only meets around 23 to 25 percent of\ntotal needs, there is a market opportunity of 75 percent that must be\nfilled by local products.<\/p>\n
He explained this particularly with the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG)\nprogramme, where the demand for fresh milk and quality vegetables will\nsurge dramatically.<\/p>\n
He noted that the MBG programme has had a real impact on vegetable\nfarmers in Wonosobo, where market demand has now increased even before\nthe harvest season arrives.<\/p>\n
He hopes that Wonosobo, with its cool climate, can become a national\nnutrition fulfilment centre, especially for fresh milk.<\/p>\n
\u201cMBG is a blessing for vegetable, egg, and meat farmers. We want all\nIndonesian people to be healthy and meet their nutritional\nrequirements,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
In the event, government support for the livestock sector was evident\nthrough the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture\n(Kementan).<\/p>\n
As a form of appreciation, Kementan gifted five cattle, each weighing\nover one tonne, to the breeders. In addition, the organising committee\nalso provided Umrah prizes for five lucky participants.<\/p>\n
The MPR Chairman also appreciated the government policies that favour\nthe people, such as the reduction in Hajj embarkation costs (ONH) for\ntwo consecutive years and fertiliser discounts of up to 20 percent amid\ndifficult global conditions.<\/p>\n
Even though the world situation is uncertain due to global conflicts,\nhe continued, the government remains committed to keeping fertiliser\nprices affordable for farmers.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us maintain unity and harmony so that this development\ncontinues,\u201d said Muzani emphatically.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mpr-chairman-opens-appsi-cattle-contest-in-wonosobo-1777128692", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }