Yogyakarta sets artificial insemination target of 100,800 cows

Bantul, Yogyakarta (Antaranews Jogja) - The Yogyakarta Agriculture Service said it hopes to carry out artificial insemination of 100,800 female cows in the province this year.

Head of the agriculture service Sasongko said he did not expect all of the cows would be pregnant and deliver a baby cow.

"Our target is 80 percent of the 100,800 female cows would deliver a baby cows," he said here on Wednesday.

The artificial insemination program is facilitated with budget from the Central Government under the program to increase the population of cows.

The government has encouraged to include all productive female cows in the artificial insemination program and kept them from being slaughtered.

The government hopes the country would be self sufficient or at least reduce dependence on imports for beef by launching large scale program of artificial insemination.

The country has been heavily dependent on imports for live cows and beef mainly from Australia.

Sasongko said he was satisfied with the progress made in the program in Yogyakarta .

"What we see in the field is encouraging. A farmer who has five female cows said all of them were pregnant indicating the program is a success," he said.

The farmers were happy especially with the support from the government.

However, he acknowledged that the number of cows included in the program dropped in number from 120,000 last year because of limited budget from the government.