Empowering Business of “Garut Sheep” for Small Holder Farmers in West
West Java has a high potential in development of sheep, given with the potential for their own sheep, carrying capacity ofthe community sheep farmers, andotherphysicalenvironments. The governmentof WestJavahas outlined thelivestockdevelopmentprogramtoincreasesheep populationto be 10million heads.However,sheep farminginruralareainWest Javais generallyaside businessanddomestic meat sheep consumption is still low. This paper was addressed to review the possibility of empowering “Garut sheep" business in rural farmer’s communitiesinWestJava.
Development of "Garut Sheep" Farming
Population of goats and sheep in Indonesia in 2010 was only 8.86 percent of total livestock population, or approximately 26,747,946 heads, consisting of 16,110,709 heads goat 10,637,237 heads sheep, respectively. Low ratio population indicates that there is insecure population if the consumption increases drastically, thus although there is an increase in meat consumption, breeding population and productivity to produce lambs should be stable, in order to give the benefit to livestock farming as well as to increase in demand consumption or market.
Although the biggest increase in meat production came from sheep (15.3%), the consumption of lamb was still low at only 0.20 g / capita / year (Strategic livestock Planning, Directorate General of Livestock Services, 2010-2014), compared to France 13.89 g/capita/years, UK 16.94 g/capita/years, Australia 52.50 g/capita/years, and New Zealand 81.11 g/capita/years, respectively. The comparison with countries in Asia was also was still low, with only 10% of domestic consumption in India and about 3.9% of consumption in China (Heriyadi, 2009).
Sheep meat consumption needs to be promoted by informing to give the benefits for health, intelligence, and the brain performance, especially for brain development. Recently, consumer preferences for sheep meat consumption reached 2.0%, which was below the consumption of beef and chicken. The priority of meat production should be better directed to increase domestic consumption.
Based on the potentialconsumptionin the future, inWestJavawhichhascontributed57.98%
of thenationalsheeppopulation(Department of Livestock Services West Java, 2010), has great potentialto contribute tothe production ofSheepmeatnationally.Contributionof livestockproductionof sheep, the sheepare stilldominatedbylocalsheep(Priangan sheep), while the Garutsheep witha bettergeneticpotentialthanany otherlocalsheep, should be developedin orderto increasethe productivity ofsheepinWestJava.
The Illustration below shows the distribution of Garut Sheep population in West Java across thedistricts. The sheep was well distributed in all areas, which directly had an impact to the carrying capacity of thesocial, economic and physicalsupport, particularly inthe central mountainregionsof WestJava. The population was closely related to theculturalcommunity, especiallycommunity of farmer groups (Garut sheep Farmers Association) inconducting an activityofram fighting contests.
Performance Garut Sheep
Rahmat (2005) has studied on Garut Sheep, in three different locations, in which Margawati as government breeding centre, H. Osih and Lesan Putra as farmers. The results are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1. Body Weight, Body measurements, and Litter Size
Traits Farm Sex Birth Type
Single Twin Triplet
Birth Weight (kg)
Margawati Male 2.81 1.90 1.40
Female 2.49 1.61 1.25
H. Osih Male 3.59 2.98 1.99
Female 3.09 2.68 1.88
Lesan Putra Male 2.76 1.95 1.87
Female 2.47 1.76 1.55
Weaning Weight (kg)
Margawati Male 10.81 8.51 6.78
Female 9.97 8.00 6.56
H. Osih Male 12.22 11.64 8.75
Female 10.95 10.61 8.48
Lesan Putra Male 11.63 8.51 6.78
Female 9.96 8.00 6.56
Liter Size (%)
Margawati 39.38 55.16 5.47
H. Osih 40.16 50.82 9.02
Lesan Putra 47.96 46.94 5.10
Source: Heriyadi, 2010
On Table 1; approximately 50% of Garut sheep gives twin birth, followed by single birth with approximately 45%, and triplet 5%. An increase in litter size leads to a decline in birth weight of lambs. Birth weight and weaning weight were also influenced by sex and birth type. Male is heavier than female for both birth and weaning weight. There is a trend that the famers are more favourable to breed single birth for fighting ram rather than twin and triplet birth. These are indicated by percentage of single birth in H. Osih and Lesan Putra was higher than the percentage of single birth in Margawati.
Mature body measurements of Garut sheep, including wither height, body length, heart girth, and chest width, and mature body weight are presented in Table 2.
The results above are essential for standardization of Garut sheep in a real origin population in West Java. The avarage body weights were 57.74 kg and 36.89 kg, for ram and ewe, respectively. These measurements could be used also for standardization in other areas for mature body weight.
Table 2. Body Measurements and Body Weight
Traits Ram Ewe
Body Weight, kg 57.74 1 1.96 36.89 9 .35
Wither height, cm 63.41 5.72 56.37 4 .58
Body length, cm 88.73 7.56 77.41 6 .74
Heart girth, cm 74.34 5.84 65.61 4 .85
Chest width, cm 22.08 8.21 16.04 2 .05
Heriyadi, et all. 2002
In general, rations Garut Sheep consisted of forage and concentrates. Forage consisting of grass, legume, and the leaves are given singly or a mixture of two kinds of forage or mixed, while the concentrate is varied depending on the habits of each farmer. Most farmer gives concentrates consisting of mixtures of two or three kinds of feed ingredients, some give commercial concentrates. But in addition to forage and concentrates are given, almost all the farmer gives additional feed such as eggs, honey, herbs, supplements or drinks, especially just before and after a contest or at certain times as it deems appropriate (Heriyadi, 2005).
The Contest of Garut Sheep
AccordingtoSuleimanet all (1999),Garut Sheep waskeptby thefarmersfor pleasure or hobby.
The performance was shown in the ramfightingcontests, with usually being accompanied bytraditionalmusicandof Pencak Silat (traditional dance). The art of ram fightingis usually held inthe fields, wheretworams arecontestedbyclashingheadswith acertainagreement before the match. The decision of the winner is determinedbya referee. The history of art ram fighting began around the year 1937 in the village of Cibuluh, by the establishing a representative field as an initiative of Mama Rubai and Ki Tasik. The ram fighting was accompanied with well performed and strong fighter ram. The championship was part of the art with followed traditional drums.
Recently, the contest and ram fighting of Garut sheep have beeninstitutionalizedin Sundanese ethnicin WestJava, which is implemented regularly everySunday. The implementation has been locatedincertain locations, likewise contestof livestockinsome countries. Based on research conducted by Suleiman et. all. (1999), Garut
sheephusbandryhas contributedsignificantlytohousehold income, althoughthere is nostandardmarketprice ofthe benchmarkquality ongenetic quality.
Empowering Garut SheepBusiness
To empower business of Garut sheepfarming, several things thatneed to be concerned;
Firstly, the development oflivestockshould be on the linewith culture. For example, inWestern countries, animal husbandry is on the line withcowboyculture, inIndiaandBali, the cattle is partoftheculturaland religionin all regions, thus thecattle farming businessgrows rapidly. In West Java, sheep farmingis moreculturallysanctionedandit is conservedby asocietyof Sheep and Goat Farmers Association as loversandfans ofGarut sheep. The contest is conducted everyweekin many regions. This condition should continue to preserve thebusiness as well astheir geneticquality. The historyGarutsheep need to be publishedby "open museum" likein severalcountries, such as Bali cattle is shown in Martin-Luther University museum in Germany. In addition, it is necessary tostrengthenthe presence ofGarutsheepin West Java.
Secondly, the researchersfromuniversities andresearch institutions, especially governmentof WestJavaprovince need to conduct in-depthandcomprehensiveresearch, particularlyin genetic potential of Garut sheep, in order togainworldwide recognition.
Thirdly, Demand forsheep, particularly forsheepmeatconsumption. It is necessary to inform to the consumerson thebenefits of sheep meat in particular. The perception of sheep meat containinghighcholesterol should be abolished, by the importance to consumesheep meat sinceearly age.
Fourthly, it is requiredthe government to setup the policiesregardingzoningfor the central development Garut sheep breeding farm, base on carrying capacity ofthe regionof WestJava
Conclusions and Recommendations
1. Based on the supporting carrying capacity and social and economic development, WestJava has a high potential region to develop and improve Garut sheep in Indonesia.
2. In order toempower abusiness in Garut sheep in West Java, farmer organizations need to be developed intensively to be a Breeder Association, intensive researchon the genetic quality of Garut sheep, conducting education to consumers and government need todevelopcentral breeding and suitable breeding design
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