PalmCow animal enrolment trip

PalmCow is a research project our agriculture researchers are leading to improve smallholder beef supply and livelihoods through oil palm-cattle integration in Indonesia.

“This project will provide us (DPIR staff) with experience in cattle production under plantations. It will give us insight into grazing management under forestry plantations in the NT.” Arthur Cameron.

The PalmCow project, along with its sister project CropCow integrating cropping and cattle production, is Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research-funded and part of the larger research program IndoBeef. The University of New England is the lead organisation of the IndoBeef program. DPIR is contracted to provide animal production and forage production advisory services for the PalmCow project. Kieren McCosker, Senior Livestock Scientist is providing the animal production services and Arthur Cameron, Principal Pastures Agronomist is providing the forage production services.

There are five project sites spread over three provinces in East Kalimantan, South Sumatra and West Sumatra.

Arthur and Kieran recently returned from a trip to Indonesia to complete field officer training in the CommCare software app. The CommCare app stores all the data generated by the project that is attributed to individual cattle enrolled in the project.

Our Indonesian research partners received practical experience in tagging cattle and use of technology. These practical tests also allowed any minor problems in the app to be resolved.

Kieren conducted pregnancy tests on cows at each of the sites, while Arthur spent the time assessing pasture yields under oil palms of different ages, and identifying cut and carry forages provided to the cattle.

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