Bogor bullfrogs hopping onto plates in Jakarta

Bogor bullfrogs hopping onto plates in Jakarta

By Joko Sarwono

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Any prospective entrepreneur, at least
one with any foresight, first weighs the opportunities of a
business and the costs. Few businesses meet all the requirements,
but breeding bullfrogs (Rana catesbiana) is one that does.

A bullfrog breeder from Bogor, Asmono Gondomartono, said that
he decided to breed the animal because it was a cheap and
easy-to-manage business that could generate a big profit. "The
price of meat or chicken is never higher than the price of
bullfrog's legs," he said.

"The price of a kilogram of bullfrog's legs ranges between Rp
25,000 and Rp 30,000, higher than that of meat or chicken (before
the holiday season)."

The plus is the smaller capital needed to breed bullfrogs
compared with livestock. "You can breed frogs as long as there is
a pond with sufficient water," said Asmono, who owns a bullfrog-
breeding farm covering a total area of 4,500 square meters.

Bullfrogs are also easy to feed. "They need only keong mas, a
particular species of snail," he added.

In Indonesia, the snail is worthless and is usually thrown
away, he said, and a kilogram of the snails costs only Rp 200.

Feed for cows, chicken or fish costs at least Rp 3,000 a
kilogram. "So the feed for bullfrogs is less than one tenth of
the price of the feed for cows, chicken or fish. Really
economical, isn't it?" he said.

It is easier still because people come to him with the snails.
"I have never had any trouble finding keong mas for my frogs.
Sometimes I have to refuse an offer to buy keong mas because I
still have more than enough for my frogs."

Asmono admitted he did not know exact number of bullfrogs in
his breeding farm. "It is easy, though, to get the rough number
of the frogs in the breeding farm."

For every 100 kg of frogs, consisting of between 300 and 700
of the animals, he needs three kilograms of snail's meat a day.

"Every month I buy 400 kg of live keong mas, a quantity equal
to 250 kg of keong mas meat," he said.

"So you can calculate how many frogs there are in my breeding
farm."

It does not include all of the tadpoles.

Bullfrogs have another advantage because they are fast
breeders.

A female bullfrog will lay 5,000 to 20,000 eggs on one
occasion and up to three times during her usually three-year-long
lifespan, Asmono said.

Bullfrogs breed more often than other frog species, he added.

"An ordinary frog can produce only 500 to 1,000 eggs on one
occasion."

At present Asmono sells bullfrogs in the form of tadpoles (two
months to three months old), percil (young frogs staring to have
legs, about 3.5 months old), frogs for consumption (about seven
months old) and female frogs ready to breed (about 12 months to
14 months old). "Of course, the price considering each phase of
the life of a frog is different," he said.

One tadpole sells for Rp 400, percil and frogs for consumption
at Rp 25,000 per kg while female frogs ready to lay eggs are Rp
150,000 per pair. "Buyers themselves will decide which phase they
need," he said.

He said there was always a demand for bullfrogs.

"During this economic crisis, the demand for female frogs
ready to spawn is almost too high to cope with. Every month I
sell from 100 to 200 pairs of them," he said.

To cope with the rising demand, Asmono has established
cooperation with fellow bullfrog breeders in other areas.

He never worries that demand may one day outstrip supply.

"Well, if the quantity is that big, we can always export
bullfrogs."

He said Singaporeans, South Koreans, Europeans and
particularly Japanese are fond of eating frogs. "At present three
exporters have contacted me to buy my frogs. Unfortunately I have
to refuse the order because the domestic price is much better."

Many restaurants in Bogor serve frog's legs but they do not
have bullfrogs. "In Bogor you cannot find dishes made of
bullfrogs, but you can find them in Jakarta," he said.

According to the owner of Cahaya Baru restaurant, Jaya
Pranata, his restaurant does not sell bullfrog dishes because the
meat was too expensive.

A kilogram of bullfrogs costs Rp 25,000 while large-sized
ordinary frogs cost only Rp 1,000 apiece.

Iskandar, owner of Dunia Baru restaurant, said the absence of
bullfrogs from his menu was more a matter of taste.

"Three years ago I sold bullfrogs but my customers did not
really like them. So we do not sell bullfrogs any more now."

Customers prefer ordinary frogs, he said. "Ordinary frogs can
be compared to free-range chickens while bullfrogs are comparable
to breeding chickens."

In the two restaurants, only frog's legs are sold. Frog's legs
are turned into various kinds of dishes. Each of the restaurants
sells about 200 frogs a week.

An expert on frogs from the Bogor Agricultural Institute
(IPB), Dr. Nawangsari Sugiri, said four ordinary or free-range
frogs which were usually sold: farm frogs (Rana cancrivora),
swamp frogs (Rana limmocharis), small stone frogs (Rana lolythi)
and big stone frogs (Rana macrodon).

But she warned the four species were threatened by
overplundering. "Unless this excessive exploitation is stopped
and restocking is introduced, these frogs will soon become
extinct."

She recommended establishing a frog-breeding center in
Majalengka and Sukabumi. "The climate in these two places is
suitable for the development of free-range frogs. Frogs can grow
very large if the climate is right," she added.