The dairy farming business is one of the strategic business fields, because it can become a supplier of national milk needs to fulfill and improve people’s nutrition. However, livestock manure is the main factor inhibiting the development and sustainability of livestock businesses. A dairy cow produces manure as much as 40 to 50% of the total feed consumed.
Government Regulation Number 95 of 2012 in conjunction with Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture Number 11 of 2020 states that every livestock business must have facilities for handling waste and manure. However, in fact, almost all breeders do not have these facilities due to limited land ownership around the stables. As a result, almost all of the sewage is dumped into ditches/rivers which causes pollution and environmental damage.
One of the areas experiencing this problem is livestock in Batu. Since Batu is a city area with a dense population and settlements. Besides that, as a tourism area that is at risk of livestock manure.
Responding to this problem, UB Lecturers provide assistance and training on processing of dairy cow manure waste biomass through the composting process for the Sumber Bumi Makmur Farmer Group, Tlekung Village, Junrejo, Batu, April – August 2023. The team that is part of the Doctoral Service consists of Dr. Marjuki (Faculty of Animal Husbandry), Dr. Ita Wahju Nursita (Faculty of Animal Husbandry), Prof. V.M. Ani Nurgiartiningsih (Faculty of Animal Husbandry), Yuli Frita Nuningtyas, M.Sc. (Faculty of Animal Husbandry), Dr. Lenny Sri Nopriani (Faculty of Agriculture), and Dr. Desi Tri Kurniawati (Faculty of Economics and Business). As well as involving five undergraduate (S1) students from Faculty of Animal Husbandry UB.
Dr. Marjuki as the team leader explained the problems faced by breeders there. There are the amount of dairy cow dung production is very high, there is no waste management yet, and the farmer’s lack of knowledge about waste processing technology.
The processing of manure waste biomass begins with a collective composting process for each group of breeders using a manure bank system. Then, all the waste is transported to the composting unit to be processed into organic compost. The composting process will be carried out aerobically or openly with the addition of litter as a carbon source and the addition of azotobacter bacteria starter to shorten the composting process so that within one to two weeks it is complete and the compost product is ready to use.
“Through this mentoring and training, we will improve the management of cow dung waste processing using fermentation technology. So that it can increase the ability of breeders to process waste while also increasing the economic value and benefits,” said Marjuki (dta/OKY/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
