IPB HIMAPROTER holds a Seminar on Preservation and Development of Indonesian Local Poultry

Students Association of Animal Production Science and Technology (HIMAPROTER) IPB held the seminar on September 10, 2011 in the Jannes Humuntal Hutasoit Auditorium, Faculty of Animal Husbandry IPB, in Darmaga Bogor. It was officially opened by Prof. Dr. Ir. Cece Sumantri, M.Agr.Sc as Head of Department of Animal Production and Technology and was attended by lecturers and students of the Faculty as well as TPB students of IPB.

Seminar with the theme "Role of Students in Preserving and Developing Indonesian Potential Local Poultry as One of Biodiversities and Germplasm in Indonesia" invited Moch. Syamsul Arifin Zein, M. Si (researcher from LIPI) and Drs. Ade M. Zulkarnain (Head of HIMPULI) as the speakers. The purpose of the seminar is to introduce, grow the love of and improve the role of students in the Faculty of Animal Husbandry of IPB so that they would be able to develop the potential local birds as commodities of high selling price.

The first topic raised by Moch. Syamsul Arifin Zein, M. Si is "The Diversity of Local Poultry Genetic Resources as Basic Capital for Development of Poultry in Indonesia. He says: "Most local Indonesian chickens descend from the red jungle fowl (Gallus Gallus Gallus). According to the study by the Livestock Research Center, the Indonesian local chickens especially ‘Kampong chickens’ have genes that are resistant to Avian Influenza Gen Mx." He explains that culling of healthy birds during the bird flu endemic in an area is a wrong action because the chickens that should be preserved become extinct.

The second topic raised by Head of the Local Poultry Farmer Association of Indonesia (HIMPULI) is "The Role of Students in Preserving and Developing Local Poultry." Drs. Ade M. Zulkarnain, also a Kampong chicken farmer in Sukabumi, said that the introduction of Indonesian local chickens to the community needs to be improved so that they know that there are local chickens in their respective regions and begin to love and participate in preserving them. For example, the famous Pelung chicken is from Cianjur, Kedu chicken from Temanggung, and Balenggek chicken from West Sumatra. In addition, he hopes that institutions such as the Faculty of Animal Husbandry IPB can make local birds an independent course for the students. The goal is to make students more motivated to help with preserving the local poultry of Indonesia that would become the prime source in their own country through seminars, research activities and other actions (Mtd)