Farm, animal health day declared

JAKARTA: The government has declared Aug. 26 a national day for farm and animal health, which will be commemorated annually, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The director general for farm products at the Ministry of Agriculture, Sofjan Sudradjat, said the decision came as a remembrance of efforts by the colonial government to improve bovine health.

On that day 167 years ago, the Dutch colonial government banned the slaughter of female, breeding cattle and adopted a mechanism to monitor the transfer of animals in a bid to prevent the spread of animal diseases.

Sofjan said the declaration was expected to help the country increase the growth of its agricultural sector, including cattle breeding and people's consumption of meat. --Antara