This report compares and contrasts the potential for use of a public private partnership approach to solve the problems of low productivity and inadequate smallholder income in the beef cattle and cocoa industries in eastern Indonesia. Overall, the study found that the potential for improvement of productivity in the beef industry—in order to reduce import dependence and meet market demand—appears much lower than the potential for success in improving profitability and sustainability in the cocoa industry by improving yields and quality.

This paper reviews the current status of Bali cattle in Indonesia based on national and regional statistical records and research and subjective information from government and university officers and farming groups in the regions where Bali cattle are produced. The research found that Bali cattle are the predominant beef cattle in the Eastern Islands of Indonesia, amounting to around 80 per cent of the total 2.95 million Bali cattle in the country. Overall numbers have declined in three of the last four years, which is believed to be a long-term trend.

Early weaning of Bali calves at six months of age increases herd reproductive efficiency and offers beef smallholders an opportunity to increase productivity and cash flow. This report assesses numerous feeding strategies aimed at increasing the growth rate of early weaned Bali calves in Sulawesi Tengah, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara. Results demonstrate that simple feeding strategies available to farmers could increase growth rates from 0.1-0.2kg/d to over 0.4kg/d by including high protein feeds such a leucaena, sesbania or copra meal.

This article presents an overview of a management system that was established to monitor Bali cattle performance on the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa. Research was carried out over a three-year period in two villages on each island—one village adopting new management and the other retaining prevailing management. The primary components of new management were: controlled seasonal natural mating using a selected bull, calf weaning at 5-6 months of age and managing weaner diets.

In this paper, the authors describe the successful implementation of an integrated village management system to improve reproductive efficiency in beef cattle production. They also review the results of a range of studies conducted to develop feeding strategies to increase growth of early weaned Bali cattle across eastern Indonesia, as well as the potential use of crop residues, including rice straw, as a basal diet for reproducing females.

One of the major constraints to improving livestock production of Bali cattle is the quantity and quality of available animal feed. Improving feed quality by introducing higher quality forages can go a long way towards removing some of those constraints. This report provides an overview and analysis of six ACIAR-funded forage research projects in Indonesia, focused on increasing the adoption of productivity-improving technologies to enhance the incomes and livelihoods of crop-livestock smallholders in eastern Indonesia.

This report presents the results of an ACIAR-funded research project that provides a comparative analysis of the beef supply chain through benchmarking to inform future activities in the beef sector. It covers the supply chain of beef products from on-farm cattle production to the consumer in four regions of eastern Indonesia (East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and East Java) and Jakarta.