Alumni of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) class of 1983 have conducted a national seminar themed Prospect, Opportunity, and Challenge of Development of Veterinary Health and Animal Husbandry in Indonesia on Saturday (20/1) in the Faculty’s Auditorium.
The seminar invited speakers such as Director of Veterinary Society Health in Agriculture Ministry, drh. Syamsul Maarif, M.Si., Head of Animal and Plant Health Safety in Agriculture Ministry, drh. Bambang Haryanto, and Head of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries of South Bangka in Bangka Belitung Province, drh. Suhadi.
Syamsul explained the increase in agriculture Gross Domestic Product in 2017, which reached Rp112,0 trillion per September 2017, also in animal husbandry Inward Investment and Outward Investment.
Syamsul further explained the current condition of Indonesia’s cattle population. For ruminants, the population was the highest in the past five years, for poultry, it reached the highest population compared to the past five years.
“The production of beef reached 564.1 tonnes in 2017, or the highest in the past five years,” said Syamsul.
Meanwhile, Bambang explained the role of agricultural quarantine agency in securing animal product safety in Indonesia. Bambang explained the strategy that was taken included Pest Risk Analysis (PRA), Recognition of PRA, Equivalence systems, Pre-shipment Quarantine systems, and Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).
Bambang explained the Agricultural Quarantine Agency was the one authorised to run food safety system that focuses in incoming and outgoing, like what the motto of the Agency says, Together with You Protect the Country, Bambang said.