Dean of Faculty of Animal Sciences UGM, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ali Agus, DAA., DEA., signed an agreement on the development of Belgian Blue cattle with Director General of Animal Husbandry and Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Drh. I Ketut Diarmita, MP., on Monday (5/2). This cooperation was purposely built to create a massive development of Belgian Blue cattle, which is called as Gama Cattle, at Faculty of Animal Sciences UGM.
Ali Agus said self-dependency on beef becomes one of the contributors in self-dependency on animal protein. Beef provides a contribution of 20-22% from the total animal consumption. Beef becomes an irreplaceable demand not only related to the consumers’ preference but also the traditional and religious rituals.
“The issues regarding beef extinction and its high price emerge every year and become the headline. Those become an indicator that beef issues are essential and it affects the livelihoods of many people,” said Ali.
Regarding those issues, Faculty of Animal Science UGM responds to the situation by continuing innovation development to contribute in the self-dependency on beef through high production beef. Belgian Blue Cattle is a Bos Taurus cattle (developed in Belgium, Europe) with double muscle as its characteristic.
“Due to its double muscle, the same unit will produce more beef,” he added.
Currently, Belgian Blue cattle have been produced since 2014 (cooperation with PT. Widodo Makmur) by crossbreeding Bos Indicus cattle breed (tropical cattle)which is expected to produce a double muscle cattle which can easily adapt with the tropical region. For an example, 9 Gama Cattles which are 1 year old has achieved body weight of 320 kg while Brahman cross cattle only achieves 204 kg.
“We hope the contribution of Faculty of Animal Sciences UGM in realizing the vision of self-dependency on beef can become closer through the development of Gama Cattle,” said Ali.