Breeding, a profitable way to save deer

Breeding, a profitable way to save deer

Ridlo Aryanto, Contributor, Yogyakarta

Deer breeding has become common in Yogyakarta since the
introduction of roast venison on the menu of a five-star hotel on
Jl. Parangtritis last year.

With the growing demand for venison dishes from foreign
visitors, especially the Japanese and French, the supply of meat
from local breeders has proved to be insufficient, forcing the
hotel to offer the delicacy only once a week.

A number of cafes in the Prawirotaman area, which is popular
among backpackers, have now also put deer meat on their menus, in
spite of the uncertain deliveries.

Some deer species, like the Java deer (cervus timorensis
russa), are classified as endangered species and are protected by
law.

The Ministry of Agriculture in 1990 issued a decree allowing
the breeding of deer for commercial purposes.

The overwhelming interest, however, led to another decree by
the Ministry of Forestry regulating the requirements and criteria
for companies or community groups to be allowed to breed deer.

It seems that the government has not yet fully permitted
unrestricted deer breeding because although the agriculture
ministry allows it, the forestry ministry restricts the groups or
individuals who can acquire breeding stock, which for the moment
is monopolized by official agencies under this ministry.

"Though deer breeding has been allowed for 12 years and public
interest is high, none of the companies involved has succeeded in
undertaking large-scale breeding operations due to various
constraints, such as the lack of information on breeding methods
and the strict supply of deer breeding stock, now the subject of
a government monopoly," said Sunaring Kurniandaru, a deer
researcher from the biology school of Yogyakarta's Atmajaya
University.

Breeders in the Keparakan Kidul and Kulon Progo areas are
unable to meet the demand for venison from restaurants in
Yogyakarta as a doe has only two calves per year while a newborn
calf can only be consumed after six months. At a rate of two deer
being slaughtered daily, 60 are needed monthly, which is a
difficult figure to reach as only five breeders are allowed per
village.

Sutomo, a breeder from Keparakan, epitomizes the problems
facing many breeders due to lack of money. The breeding deer
allocated to him by the forestry administrative unit in Playen,
Gunungkidul regency, had to be sold to a hotel for meat, while
they should have been kept for breeding. At the age of 12 months,
a healthy male deer can sire 2 to 3 calfs from a female in nine
months.

"The stocks available are not yet sufficient, with the
official breeding centers of Ranca Upas-Bandung, Malang and Ngawi
-- both in East Java -- capable of supplying only 10,000 head per
year, as against the demand which is five times that much.
Meanwhile, artificial insemination is too costly," said Budiani
of the Yogyakarta provincial office of husbandry.

Sunaring suggested that the deer produced by zoos all over
Java also be made available as breeding stock. "If this is
handled by private companies under government regulation, the
target of conserving various deer species while earning foreign
exchange through venison exports could soon become a reality. It
is essential that the forestry ministry now lay down the
necessary rules," he concluded.