NTT Set To Become Major Cow Breeding Province

Kupang, NTT, April 15 (Antara) - East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is set to boost the population of its beef cows from around 817,710 early this year. Currently the province is the fourth largest region in cow population after East Java, Central Java and South Sulawesi. "East Nusa Tenggara`s beef cow population is expected to continue to pick up after a number of steps taken to make it a major livestock province," head of the planning department of the regional animal husbandry service H Firdaus said here on Monday. Firdaus said the the population of livestock especially cows in the islands province is forecast to rise from year to year. By the end of 2012, the province had a beef cow population of 814,450 , up to 817,708 a month later, he said . The population of buffaloes, horses, goats, , sheep and pigs has been slow in growth, he said, adding growing only by 76 to 191 heads. Based on provisional figures by Jan. 31 , 2013 , East Nusa Tenggara`s cattle population including cows, buffaloes, goats, sheep, horses and pigs totaled 1,729,656 or an increase of 5,340 heads from 1,724,316 heads by the end of 2012, he said. He said East Nusa tenggara has 832,228 hectares of fertile green field to feed herds of big cattle including cows, horses, buffaloes, and goats. East Nusa Tenggara has a number of action plans to increase its cow population including expansion of feedlots, feed technology and expansion and improvement of herding field. It also plans to improve the quality of its breeder cows and revitalize artificial insemination and preserve productive female cows, Firdaus said. He said the province will invite investors to venture in large scale development of cattle farms in the region. He said the province is also set to develop agro-industry building slaughterhouses and beef processing plants. He said development of livestock farms in East Nusa Tenggara have four clusters -- one in Timor, Eastern Flore, Western Flores and Sumba. The one in Timor will covers all regencies in the main land and the regencies of Rote Ndao and Sabu Raijua to breed big and small cattle, and poultry. The cluster in Eastern Flores covers the regencies of Ende, Sikka, Flores Timur, Lembata, and Alor to breed small and big cattle and poultry . The third cluster in western Flores covers the regencies of Nagekeo, Ngada, Manggarai Timur, Manggarai and Manggarai Barat to breed big and small cattle integrated with food crop plantations. The one on the island of Sumba covers four regencies to breed big and small cattle and poultry .