Simple changes deliver more milk for Indonesia’s dairy farmers
An Australian-Indonesian research partnership is helping Indonesia’s smallholder dairy farmers improve milk production and farm management.
One farmer has already seen an increased producing by about one litre per cow each day after adopting simple changes developed through the project. By Australian standards this does not sound like much, but for smallholder farmers in Indonesia whose cows on average produce 10 litres per day, every litre helps.
This result is one of several practical outcomes emerging from IndoDairy2, a five-year research project led by CQUniversity researcher Dr David McGill, which has reached its halfway point.
The project is working with dairy farmers, cooperatives, researchers, government agencies and industry across Central and West Java to identify practical ways to strengthen farm productivity, improve cooperative services and build a more resilient Indonesian dairy sector.
On-farm outcome
For smallholder farmer Pak Dwi, from Boyolali in Central Java, the changes have focused on two fundamentals of dairy production – access to water and getting the right amount of feed to his cows.
Managing four lactating cows, Pak Dwi previously relied largely on experience to determine feed quantities and provided drinking water to his herd only at restricted times.
Through IndoDairy2, he installed an automated system that gives his cows continuous access to clean drinking water and began weighing feed using calibrated buckets to better match quantities to the nutritional needs of his herd.
The changes have helped increase milk production by approximately one litre per cow per day, while Pak Dwi is now also sharing what he has learned with other farmers in his community.
Dr McGill said the experience demonstrated how research could translate into practical improvements at the farm level.
“Pak Dwi’s experience shows how relatively simple, practical changes can make a meaningful difference on farm,” Dr McGill said.
“It also shows the value of working directly with farmers and cooperatives to develop solutions that are relevant to their circumstances and can be adopted in practice.
“When farmers share what they have learned with their neighbours, the reach of these improvements can extend well beyond the original focus farms.”
Working with cooperatives to strengthen the dairy sector
Milk cooperatives are central to Indonesia’s dairy industry, often providing smallholder farmers with information, services and support.
IndoDairy2 is examining how cooperatives can strengthen the services they provide to members, including through improved communication, access to resources, market connections and links to financial institutions.
The research is being conducted across key dairy-producing regions of Central and West Java, with researchers investigating different cooperative models and approaches to help farmers adopt improved management practices and participate more effectively in profitable dairy value chains.
CQU Research Fellow Dr Jenny Hanks is coordinating the field research for the project, working with dairy cooperatives through a case-study approach to develop interventions tailored to local needs.
“Early research with 14 dairy cooperatives showed that farmers and cooperatives face a combination of technical and social challenges, from feed and milk prices through to limited opportunities for peer exchange and farmer needs assessments,” Dr Hanks said.
“That means the solutions need to address more than technical issues. They need to be developed with farmers and cooperatives, so they are practical, inclusive and relevant to local circumstances.”
Local Taskforces have been established at four case-study cooperatives, bringing cooperative management and members together to identify priorities, co-design interventions and support implementation.
The approach has resulted in 44 systems being installed across West and Central Java with project support, giving cows continuous access to clean drinking water. The taskforces are also delivering interactive training on cow feeding and water management to these same 44 focus farms. Spillover effects are already emerging, with neighbouring farmers independently funding and replicating the ad libitum water systems and adopting the best-bet nutrition recommendations.
Dr Hanks said involving cooperative members in developing and implementing the interventions was helping build local ownership of the changes.
“By working alongside cooperative members and management, we can co-design interventions that respond to their specific needs and support them to implement and sustain those changes,” she said.
Research informing Indonesia’s dairy future
Indonesia currently produces about 22 per cent of the milk required to meet domestic demand, highlighting the opportunity to increase local production while supporting the livelihoods of smallholder dairy farming families.
As IndoDairy2 moves into the second half of the project, researchers are investigating how successful approaches can be strengthened and scaled, while helping cooperatives respond to changing economic, environmental and industry conditions.
The research is also contributing to policy discussions through the Dairy Policy Advisory Committee (DPAC), which brings together government and non-government organisations to strengthen collaboration and policy dialogue across Indonesia’s dairy sector.
The IndoDairy2 team has developed five policy briefs and held three policy dialogue discussions through DPAC, helping connect research findings with policymakers and industry stakeholders.
Dr McGill said linking farmers, cooperatives, researchers, industry and policymakers was critical to achieving lasting impact.
“Research has the greatest impact when knowledge can move between farmers, cooperatives, industry and policymakers,” Dr McGill said.
“Through IndoDairy2, we are creating opportunities for Australian and Indonesian researchers and industry partners to learn from each other while developing solutions that are grounded in local farming systems.
“Ultimately, this work is about helping dairy farming families build more productive, profitable and resilient businesses, while supporting Indonesia’s long-term dairy production and food security.”
IndoDairy2 builds on more than a decade of collaboration between Australian and Indonesian partners supporting the development of Indonesia’s dairy sector.
ABOUT INDODAIRY2
Evaluating Service Provision Approaches and Value-Chain Interventions to Support Milk Cooperatives to Grow the Smallholder Dairy Sector of Indonesia (IndoDairy2) is a five-year research project funded through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
IndoDairy2 partnership includes Bogor Agricultural University, Diponegoro University, the Indonesian Center for Agriculture Socio Economic and Policy Studies, Adelaide University, the University of Melbourne and CQUniversity.
