A Group of IPB Researchers: The Carrying Capacity and Priority Areas of Beef Cattle Development in South Tangerang City
Plans for the distribution and development of livestock in a region must be through an analysis of the potential of the area, related to the availability of land resources and carrying capacity, commodities to be developed as well as supporting facilities and infrastructures. South Tangerang City is a division of Tangerang Regency, Banten Province. It has a relatively small area of 164.54 square kilometers (km2), but the South Tangerang City had a population over 2,834,376 (Tangerang City Government Agency 2015).
To respond such issue, three researchers of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), namely representative of the Study Program of Regional Planning; Asnath Maria Fuah of the Department of Animal Production and Technology Science (IPTP), of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry (FAPET); and Widiatmaka of the Department of Soil Science and Land Resources (ITSL) of the Faculty of Agriculture (FAPERTA), carried out the research program to analyse the carrying capacity and priority areas of beef cattle development in South Tangerang City.
"Land suitability potential evaluation is an important step to detect the environmental limit in sustainable land use planning to ensure optimal and sustainable use, especially for beef cattle farming. They are vital to successful production and livestock productivity. Several environmental studies have shown that livestock in areas with appropriate physical environments and adequate feeds show good livestock growth, characterized by optimal weight gain, "said Widiatmaka.
Based on the analysis performed by the team, they explained that the basis district for beef cattle commodities is the basis district with positive growth in Pamulang, Setu and Serpong Subdistricts. The available lands are suitable for the ecological environment of beef cattle. "The appropriateness of the ecological environment of beef cattle analysed here is the compatibility of the ecological environment of the cow with the caged system, because most of the cattle ranching in South Tangerang City is by caged system," added Widiatmaka.
For land suitability, forage fodder analysed is a combination of land suitability for agriculture such as rice paddy and sweet potato and land suitability for elephant grass, Setaria sphacelata, leguminous and natural grass. The results of forage and feed quality analysis for cattle from the combined suitability of land for agriculture and forage, is all 3,882 hectares of land available for forage which are spread in all districts.
The priority order of regional development based on beef cattle commodity in South Tangerang City according to Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) are as follows: (1) Serpong District; (2) Pamulang District; (3) Setu Sub-district; (4) Kecamatan Pondok Aren; (5) Kecamatan Ciputat; (6) North Serpong District; and (7) East Ciputat District.
Based on the results obtained expained that South Tangerang City has sufficient carrying capacity for livestock development based on land suitability and characteristic and availability of forage feed. Priority sites are determined based on potential and direction of development supported by farmer's resources and government policies in urban livestock development. (Wied)
