Bangkalan, July 30, 2024 – The Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Brawijaya, conducted a community service program in Dumajah Village, Tanah Merah District, Bangkalan Regency. The program, titled “Strengthening Feed Management in the ‘Tani Agung I’ Beef Cattle Farmers Group,” was led by Dr. Ir. Mashudi, M.Agr.Sc.IPM.ASEAN Eng.
The community service activity, held on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, was attended by 50 participants from the Tani Agung I Farmers Group. During the event, the team from Universitas Brawijaya provided training and education on proper feed management practices.
Dr. Mashudi explained that the program began with identifying the key issues faced by the farmers, which included poor feed quality and a lack of knowledge about effective feed management techniques. “This program aims to enhance farmers’ knowledge so they can improve the productivity of their beef cattle through better feed management,” said Dr. Mashudi.
The educational sessions covered topics such as selecting quality feed ingredients, proper feed storage techniques, and balanced ration formulation. Additionally, the team provided training on producing silage, fermented straw, ammoniated straw, and hay as alternative feed options that can be stored for extended periods.
During the field practice, farmers were introduced to superior forage crops such as Odot grass and Indigofera. The community service team also provided the farmers with seedlings of these grasses and a Mixer Couple Hammer Mill powered by a 13 HP motor engine with a capacity of 100 kg per process.
Dr. Mashudi expressed hope that through this program, farmers’ knowledge of feed management would improve, ensuring better feed availability and quality. “We hope that through this program, beef cattle farming in Dumajah Village can become more self-sufficient and productive, leading to increased welfare for the local farmers,” he added.
This program also supports the achievement of Universitas Brawijaya’s key performance indicators (KPIs), including providing off-campus experiences for students and lecturers and producing publishable community service outcomes in reputable journals. mt/apr
