A post-mining area has many benefits. Despite being abandoned after the minerals had been been extracted, the soil layer on top of the area can still be used for various purposes, including grazing area (pasture). For example, a post-coal mining area in North Sengatta, East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, is used for the grazing area for meat cattle.

Dean of the Faculty of Animal Science IPB (Bogor Agricultural University), Luki Abdullah, said that in one of the post-coal mining areas in Sengatta, namely PT KPC, Taufan, a lecturer of Mulawarman University as well as a doctoral candidate at IPB, conducted a research. The result of his research showed that the post-coal mining land can be developed into a ranch model that can minimize feed cost.

If cattle are reared in a cage, the feed cost alone can reach 82 % of the operating costs, he compared. However, with the ranch system, farmers do not need to cut grass and the feed cost is only about 30 % of the operating costs. "Just look at Australia or Brazil, their raising method is more efficient because they raise their cattle on grazing areas," said Luki, who is also expert in fodder.

In the meantime, Bali cattle is the most suitable type for such areas because they are more efficient. 1 ha grazing area can be utilized by 2-3 Bali cattle, but only 1-2 simental cattle. "The pattern is, 3-7 grazing days, after that the land is left until 21 days to avoid overgrazing," Luki explained.

Community Empowerment Specialist of PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) Panji Setyadi added that Bali cattle is more efficient than other types of cattle because in the local area there are many cattle like wild bulls. "If the people are introduced to other types of cattle such as imported cattle, it is afraid that the training becomes ineffective because they are used to raising the local cattle. Also, this spirit can trigger the development of cattle germplasm," he argued.

According to Community Empowerment Manager of PT KPC Nurul M Karim, IPB research is in line with corporate social responsibility (CSR) program for community empowerment. "We are developing agribusiness to improve the community economy through an integrated cattle farming (Pesat). The area which has been developed since 2009 is location D2 Murung, Surya’s ex-dumping pit, about 22 ha," said the woman who is originally from Sengatta.


Read this article completely in TROBOS Livestock magazine 180th ed, issued on Sept 2014