The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FKH UGM), in collaboration with Yamaguchi University and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has agreed to improve reproductive management for beef cattle owned by smallholder farmers in Gunungkidul Regency, focusing on advancing technology, providing training, and enhancing international research collaboration.
The agreement was emphasized during the closing ceremony of the ICA Grass-Root Project series, held on Wednesday, Jul. 2, 2025, in Gunungkidul.
FKH UGM Dean, Professor Teguh Budipitojo, stated that this collaboration to improve cattle farming management for the welfare of farmers has been implemented since mid-July 2022, involving local farmer groups across 18 districts in Gunungkidul.
“The results of this collaboration are expected to directly benefit the community,” said Professor Budipitojo.
He explained that the program utilizes artificial insemination technology, incorporating estrus synchronization methods that have been proven to increase pregnancy and calving rates.
Each year, approximately 120 cows from six Technical Implementation Units for Animal Health Centers (UPT Puskeswan) are involved in the program.
The initiative has also trained 79 personnel, including veterinarians, inseminators, and technical officers, some of whom have received direct training in Japan.
On this occasion, Professor Budipitojo expressed hope that JICA would continue to provide support, as it has done in many similar projects throughout Indonesia.
A representative from JICA Indonesia expressed appreciation for the ongoing collaboration between Japan and Indonesia, particularly between UGM and the Gunungkidul Regency Government.
According to the representative, through a multi-sectoral approach and cooperation, this program not only enhances cattle reproductive efficiency but also strengthens the technical capacity of field officers and improves animal data management systems.
Lecturer from the Department of Reproduction and Obstetrics at FKH UGM, Professor Agung Budiyanto, stated that this community service activity can be continued further, building on the achievements already made.
These include the expansion of areas and cattle populations involved, as well as the increasing number of AI officers and veterinarians participating in the program.
“Most recently, we’ve also introduced reproductive improvements through sexed semen and genomic mapping of Ongole-grade (PO) cattle,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Masayasu Taniguchi from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Yamaguchi University presented the evaluation results of the effectiveness of the fixed-time artificial insemination program.
He highlighted ovarian size as a key indicator of successful insemination and suggested that this approach be adopted as a benchmark for future programs.
“We found a clear correlation between ovarian size and pregnancy rates. The solution is to enhance breeding by focusing not only on body condition scores (BCS) but also on ovarian size,” he explained.
Gunungkidul Regent Endah Subekti Kuntariningsih also conveyed her commitment to carrying forward the positive outcomes of this program through regional regulations and local support initiatives.
These include a Regent Regulation on the handling of sick or deceased livestock and the formulation of a more effective livestock vaccination strategy.
“We aim to establish ongoing collaboration between universities, local government, and communities to build a more self-reliant, healthy, and competitive community-based livestock sector,” she affirmed.
As noted, the ICA Grass-Root Project series has included not only training and mentoring activities but also emphasized educational outreach through public lectures, webinars, and joint research initiatives between Indonesian and Japanese researchers.
Some of the resulting studies have focused on the molecular detection of reproductive diseases in ruminants and have been presented in both national and international scientific forums.
Author: Kezia Dwina Nathania
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographs: Freepik