Faculty of Veterinary Medicine inaugurated 139 new vets, Wednesday (30/12) in Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri Hall. There are 50 male vets and 89 female vets among the newly inaugurated. So far, 3,587 vets have graduated.
Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. drh. Bambang Sumiarto, S.U., M.Sc., said that vets should be able to work professionally and have global mindset to realise healthy and prosperous community through veterinary health. The reason is that animal diseases can become a source of disease for humans and other animals.
Bambang said that an independent vet has become an interesting and promising profession. Many graduates from UGM are successful in their carreers, giving veterinary medical services in major cities in the country and abroad. Several alumni work in a number of countries such as the US, South Africa, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunai Darussalam. “They play a role in maintaining veterinary health for human, community and environment health,†he said.
In his speech, Bambang said that Indonesia is a potential market for world meat product as its consumption is still very low, 1.75 kg/capita/year. This rate, however, will definitely increase along with the increasing people's income and awaraness to increase animal protein adequacy. “Due to this huge market potential, no fewer than 68 countries are waiting for their turn to export meat to Indonesia,†said Bambang.
Bambang said that some port authorities were busy unloading and banishing illegal meat imports from some countries, among others are India, Argentine and Brazil. In his opinion, reactive and responsive measures will not be efficient if the Government does not tighten import permits of hazardous meat products, moreover if not banning meat products from countries contaminated with the foot and mouth and mad cow diseases.
To the new vets, Bambang emphasised the importance of primate (monkey) breeding, which is one of Indonesia's primary wild animals. The big numbers of long tail and short tail primates cannot be found in four season countries where those animals are made model animals. Export demand for these animals is high enough. In the last 5 years, their export quota was 7000, but only half of it could be met. “The breeding of these wild animals to be made model animals that are specifically pathogenic free is very appropriate for realisation and, therefore, this sector highly requires the role of vets,†he added. Â
Chairman of the Indonesian Vets Association (PDHI) of Yogyakarta, drh. Rosul Suhendro, said that this time the new graduates were mostly female. This showed that female vets are no less competitive than their male counterparts to work in the field. Almost 60% of the newly inaugurated have joined the workforce and only 40% have not.