Development of beef cattle based on oil palm industry.

Oil palm industry has big feed resources to develop animal husbandry especially beef cattle. Integration of beef cattle and oil palm industry arises three simultaneous integrated activities, namely 1) feed industry for ruminants based on oil palm by-products, 2) cow calf operation, and 3) beef cattle fattening. Feed resources in oil palm industry include oil palm by-products, mainly leaf and fronds of oil palm as fiber sources and oil palm processing by-products, mainly solid/sludge and palm kernel cake as protein sources. Innovation technologies of utilizing oil palm by-products have been generated by the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development, and have been applied by the users. Integration of cow calf operation and oil palm plantation was economically profitable. The same results were obtained on beef cattle fattening conducted near oil palm factory so that it was prospective to be developed in other locations. These activities also give opportunity for oil palm plantation employee through cooperation to increase their income. Development of beef cattle based on oil palm industry increased efficiency and productivity of cow calf operation and fattening activity as well as oil palm plantation. However, implementation of the model in the field is still limited. Therefore, it requires support and commitment of farmers, investors of oil palm plantation, bankers, researchers, as well as local and central government. Socialization to oil palm plantation investors must be conducted to the decision makers (the owners) to obtain the same perception about the integration of cattle and oil palm plantation and its development in the future.