"Pregnancy, however, reached only 850,450 cows or 28.19 percent of the target of 3.02 million," Director of Animal Health of the Agriculture Ministry Fadjar Sumping Tjatur Rasa said at the closing ceremony of Livestock Expo of South Sumatra in Padang Aro, South Solok, on Wednesday.
In West Sumatra alone artificial insemination reached 63,735 cows by mid September, 2017 or 57.27 percent of the target of 111,293 cows this year.
Pregnancy was recorded for 26,620 female cows or 35.17 percent of the target of 26,620 set for this year.
In the regency of South Solok alone, artificial insemination reached 914 cows or 30.67 percent of the target of 2,980 cows with 459 pregnant cows or 22.66 percent of target.
"The data show that realization is still short of targets that harder work is needed to meet the targets," Fadjar said.
West Java Governor Irwan Prayitno said based ona survey by the state run Andalas University, West Sumatra has the potential to raise up to 2 million cows.
"We have to optimize the potential, Wide grazing fields are available in the province," the governor said.
Earlier the Artificial Insemination Agency (BIB) of Lembang in Banten said it already has available 5 million dosages of frozen semen to support the program to make pregnant 4 billion female cows this year.
"There are still 3.2 million doses in stock from 2016 and this year there is additional production set at 1.85 million dosages," head of the Lembang BIB Tri Harsi has said.
Tri Harsi said 8 million dosages are needed to be provided in a number of BIB including Singosari BIB, Ungaran BIB and Banjarmasin BIB, reach the target of 4 million pregnant cows.
BIB of Lembang has distributed more than 2.2 million dosages of frozen semen to support the program exceeding its target of 1.74 million dosages.
Tri Harsi said frozen semen is produced with French and German technologies and the result is up to the Indonesian National Standard (SNI).
The male cows used in the program have to meet certain requirements that they are off-springs of good performing parentage and they have to be healthy free from 12 types of animal disease, she said.
Supraptono, from the Production Technique Service section of the Lembang BIB, said extraction of fluid semen from a male cow could be used for 300 to 350 dosages. Semen extraction from a male cow is twice a week.
"A healthy male cow could produce good quality semen for 10 years. If the performance dropped after five years, they would be scrapped right away," he said.
The Lembang BIB production target for frozen semen is set at 1,850,000 dosages in 2017. Production up to the end of August reached 1,350,000 dosages of semen of cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep.
The operation of BIB of Lembang since 1976 has saved Rp13.3 trillion in imports of frozen semen on assumption that production has reached 38.8 million dosages taking into account the difference in local and import prices.
The price of imported frozen semen averages Rp350,000 per dosage as against a price of only Rp7,000 per dosage from the Lembang BIB.
Currently the BIB sells frozen semen in two categories -- Grade A at Rp7,200 - Rp8,000 per dosage and Grade B at Rp6,300 - Rp7,000 per dosage.
The price for exports such as to Malaysia, is set at Rp40,000 per dosage .
(AS/H-YH)
(T.SYS/A/H-ASG/A/H-YH)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
