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| University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) Lecturer Team When Improving Cattle Productivity (Photo: Istimewah) |
A team of lecturers carried out an exciting program from the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) through the Matching Fund from the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia. Prof. Dr. Sujono, M.Kes lead the team. Since last October, three programs have been running in Bicak Village, Trowulan District, and Mojokerto, starting with increasing cow productivity using beer waste feed, making biogas for residents, and utilizing biogas waste into liquid and solid fertilizer.
Sujono, as he is known, explained that the condition of the cows in the farmer group in Bicak Village was not good. The cows there look thin. There are some injuries, as well as problems in the digestive organs. This is because farmers and ranchers cannot make concentrated feed. So, he and his team provided a solution by giving meals from beer waste and waste.
"Moreover, the area is close to a brewery, so it's easier. If you pay attention, this beer waste has high nutrition and is also cheap. The protein can reach 30 percent, and the energy produced is also quite a lot," he explained.
During three weeks of being fed from beer waste, a significant development was produced. It started with the cow's body weight which increased by 20-25 kilograms, to the loss of injuries in several parts of the cow's body. Even with digestion, that began to improve. This will undoubtedly increase the value of cattle sales.
Another exciting program is the utilization of cow dung for biogas. Sujono said this started from residents' complaints about the unpleasant smell of cow dung. So, his team built a tool to convert waste into biogas energy for cooking. Currently, the device, which has a capacity of 16 cubic meters, is still partially filled.
"Until now, there have been four families who have used it. If the tool is full, it can provide energy to 10 family kitchens around the cage. The waste from the biogas can be used for liquid or solid fertilizer. So biogas wastewater can be directly poured into plants such as chilies, tomatoes, and others. Meanwhile, the solid one is mixed with ash and lime and can be used immediately," said Sujono.
In doing so, Sujono is not alone. He was assisted by Dr. dr. Imbang Dwi Rahayu, M.Kes. and Dr. Ratih Juliati, M.Si. to provide benefits and empower related farmer groups. They also held discussions before running the program to find the right solution to the residents' problems.
Residents in Bicak Village well received this service. One of them is Asari, the head of a local farming group. According to him, the program given by the UMM White Campus Lecturer team was beneficial. It can even solve three problems at once: malnourished cows, utilizing cow dung into biogas, and biogas waste for fertilizer.
"We express our deepest gratitude and appreciation. I hope that programs like this can also be implemented in other areas so that many residents can feel the benefits generated," he concluded. (cdr/*/wil)
