REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA =- As part of the Indonesia Australia Commercial Cattle Breeding Program (IACCB), the Australian government is sending 300 cows to the first partner location in South Kalimantan to boost the development of cattle livestock industry in Indonesia. The IACCB commenced in February 2016.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources of Australia, Barnaby Joyce, said in a press release issued by the Australian Embassy in Indonesia and received by Antara here on Thursday, that the program will help develop Indonesia's cattle industry. Also, it will boost investment opportunities and trade between the two countries.

Through the IACCB, which is a flagship program under the auspices of the Indonesia-Australia Partnership on Food Security in the Red Meat and Cattle Sector, Australia will send 2,000 cattle heifers and 100 bulls to some selected locations. "We are working together to develop the red meat industry and Australia-Indonesia dairy farms to be more competitive, efficient and sustainable to strengthen global commercial supply chains," Minister Joyce informed.

As the demand for beef in Indonesia is growing, he added, this project is a real commitment of Australia to cooperate with the Indonesian industry to improve productivity through transfer of skills and expertise in cattle breeding. "This program, is expected to generate wide investment opportunities and open up new markets for Australian cattle breeders," the minister noted.

Meanwhile, Head of the Investment Coordinating Agency (BKPM) Thomas Lembong said the program will be a pilot for a variety of sustainable commercial breeding cow models with private partners on a larger scale. "This partnership will help in the development of sustainable agriculture industry in Indonesia and strengthen our trade and investment relationship with Australia," Lembong stressed.

In addition to cattle, the IACCB program team will share knowhow with Indonesian cattle farmers on pasture development, business and dairy farms management, and monitoring and evaluation systems to advance commercial breeding models. Cooperation in the red meat and dairy farming sector was made possible by the bilateral trade negotiations under the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA).

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