Goat Production on Leucaena in Small Farming System
at Majene Regency, Sulawesi Selatan Province

Mohammad Arifin Amril¹ and Mahi Baddu Rangngang²

¹ Feed Industry Laboratory, Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Hasanuddin University.Kampus Tamalanrea, Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan, Makassar Indonesia
²Agrostology Laboratory, Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Hasanuddin University.Kampus Tamalanrea, Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan, Makassar Indonesia

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of Leucaena feed based production on (a) development strategies for leucaena feed based; (b) feeding and nutrition of goat on Leucaena feed based and (c) impacts of Leucaena feed based on small farmers' economic development, social improvement and environmental sustainability. It was found that Leucaena feed based has long been practised (more than 20 years) and most farmers recognise the value of leucaena from their farmer ancestors. Farmer offered different amount of Leucaena according to districts and during the short supply of Leucaena, farmers offered Gliricidia, Sesbania, coconut leaves, Napier grass, banana peelings, Imperata grass, cassava leaves and other available alternative feed resources. The only mineral source they offered was common salt. Income from goat production under Leucaena feed was substantial and made farmers capable to send their children to school, additional daily expenses were met and additional cost to repair their house and appliances for entertainment became available.

INTRODUCTION

Majene represents one of the 23 regencies of Sulawesi Selatan Province located about 302 km from the city of Makassar (the capital of Sulawesi Selatan) at the western coast and  stretched lengthwise from south to the north direction. Geographically, the regency situated between 2º 38’ 4 “to 3º 38’ 15” south latitude and between 118º 45’ 00” to 119º 4’ 45” east longitude. The regency border on Mamuju regency to the north, Polmas regency to the east, Mandar bay to the south, and Makassar straits to the west (Anonymous 1998). Land in Majene regency is hilly and bordering directly with the slanting seashore. The development of agricultural sector is limited by a narrow and plain area for rice field and other food crop due to sloping topography and low rainfall. Food crop sub sector contributes    the highest to agriculture followed by plantation estate, livestock, fishery, and forestry sub-sectors (Anonymous 1999). Within livestock, goats contributes the highest followed by beef cattle and native chicken. Majene regency produces high quality breeding goats which is well known and distributed all over Sulawesi Selatan and in the eastern Indonesian region with goat production dependent on Leucaena.

OBJECTIVE

This case study was conducted to evaluate the impacts of Leucaena-based goat production on economic development, social improvement and environmental sustainability of small farming system in Majene regency.

METHODOLOGY

A survey was conducted in the first two weeks of May 2001 at three (3) districts namely Banggae, Pamboang and Sendana of Majene Regency with 31, 23 and 23 respondents respectively, taken by purposive stratified random sampling. The majority of the farmers sampled were those suggested by Animal Husbandry service of the Agricultural Extension Service of farmers group that has long been established. They were well off and cooperative.

Data collected were length of time when farmers recognise the importance of Leucaena as animal feed; its benefit; production management and utilization strategies; and its roles in the economic development, social improvement and environmental sustainability. Data on farmers' income, amount of feed offered and farmers’ perception on the effect of Leucaena feed based of goat production on land fertility, food and estate plant production where Leucaena was integratively planted were likewise obtained. All parameters were descriptively reported and comparison was made between districts without using statistical analysis.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Farmers knowledge on Leucaena as feed
Most farmers in Majene Regency had recognized Leucaena as potential feed for goat for long time. Majority (over 50 percent) of the farmers in the 3 districts recognized Leucaena as potential based more than 20 years (Table 1).

Table 1. Length of time and source of information that Leucaena is known as good feed.
Item		Banggae		Pamboang		Sendaa
		n	%	n	%	n	%
Length of time recognizing Leucaena	< 20 years	11	35.48	6	26.09	8	34.78
	> 20 years	20	64.52	17	73.91	15	65.22
Leucaena information gained from :	Extension workers	10	32.76	8	34.78	10	43.48
	Ancestors	21	67.74	15	65.22	13	56.52

Farmers gained knowledge and information on Leucaena as good feed from their ancestor, while some of them has gain knowledge and skill about Leucaena as a good feed source for goat from (Animal Husbandry Service personnel). This long time recognition and experience on Leucaena as a valuable feed for goat production had encouraged farmers to improve their management strategies in agronomic aspects of Leucaena.

Table 2 shows the spacing, cutting height and frequency of Leucaena in the 3 districts. In general, most of the farmers planted Leucaena at closer spacing (<2m). Most farmers cut Leucaena at more than 2 m with a maximum of 4 m.

Most farmers cut Leucaena at less than 6 month cutting interval, the least at 1 month interval. Horne et al. (1986) recommended that where Leucaena is intended primarily as a source of forage, it might be desirable, especially with a limited number of trees, to cut more often in order to obtain a continuous supply of forage, i.e. farmers may not have enough trees to enable him to apply long cutting interval.

Feeding goats in Majene regency has long been dependent on Leucaena without the addition of other roughage source. When leucaena is in short supply, farmers use Gliricidia, Sesbania, leaves of cassava, coconut and jackfruit, banana peelings, and other available roughage.

Table 2. Management of Leucaena in the 3 districts of Majene Regency

		Banggae		Pamboang		Sendaa
Item		n	%	n	%	n	%
Plant spacing	< 2 m	21	67.74	16	69.56	11	47.82
	> 2m	10	32.26	7	30.43	12	52.17
Cutting height	< 2m	9	29.03	9	39.11	6	26.09
	> 2m	22	70.97	14	60.87	17	73.91
Cutting frequency	< 6 months	21	67.74	12	52.17	13	56.52
	> 6 months	10	32.26	11	47.83	10	43.48

During normal periods, Leucaena is sufficient to meet dry matter required throughout the regency for all physiological stages of goat, except in Sendana regency where only the lower limit of dry matter required is met for young goats. However, when Leucaena was in short supply during dry season, farmers utilized alternative forages like Gliricidia which is easier to manage and very much resistance to plant pests and diseases. It can meet the dry matter requirement for the different physiological stages of goats in the 3 districts. 

The use of Sesbania, leaves of coconut, cassava and jackfruit or banana peelings could not meet the DM requirement of the animals. This is due to the limited amount of the forages and these only play the role of incidental or emergency roughage source during the time when both Leucaena and Gliricidia were in short supplies.

 Impact of Leucaena

a. Farmers Income
The  economic  impact  of  feeding Leucaena  is shown in  Table 3.  Average annual cash income of farmers is almost similar between Banggae (Rp. 633,850) and Sendana (Rp. 653,850) and average annual cash income in both regency were lower than those in Pamboang regency (Rp. 1,139,130). Income from goat production contributes the largest among commodities in animal husbandry sub sectors.

Table 3. Farmers income generated from goat production on Leucaena

Income	Banggae	Pamboang	Sendana
Cash, Rp	633,850	1,139,130	653,850
Percent of total animal husbandry income	65.63	78.82	65.64
Percent of total agriculture income	16.75	29.00	16.75

b. Social Improvement
Although goat production in Majene Regency is a secondary occupation, farmers' income from goat production had substantially improved social status of farmers. Income derived from goat production has helped farmers send their children to school, meet additional daily family expense and buy appliances for  entertainment such as radio and television. Furthermore, traditional and ritual occasions are met when goats aresacrificed for religious activities such as child birth, circumcision, etc.

c. Environmental Sustainability
Farmers perception on the impact of leucaena feed based goat production on the environment sustainability vary according to the districts. Most farmers in Banggae (83.33%) declared that soil fertility was decreased while most farmers (100 %) in Pamboang and (83.33%) in Sendana declared an increase in soil fertility (Table 4). This may be due to the lower soil fertility and lower rainfall in Banggae compare to Pamboang and Sendana district. The effect of leucaena feed based goat production on the main estate plant.

Table 4. Impact of leucaena goat production on soil fertility and production of main estate plant by district in Majene Regency.

No	Parameter		Banggae		Pamboang		Sendana
			N	%	N	%	N	%
1	Soil Fertility	Unchanged	3	12.5	0	0	2	16.67
		Increased	1	4.17	19	100	10	83.33
		Decreased	20	83.33	0	0	0	0
2	Effect on Main Estate Plant Production
	Coconut	Unchanged	7	30.43	2	8.70	6	50.00
		Increased	16	69.57	21	91.70	6	50.00
		Decreased	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Cocoa	Unchanged	17	61.11	2	8.70	3	25.00
		Increased	6	33.33	21	91.30	8	66.67
		Decreased	1	5.56	0	0	1	8.33
	Cassava	Unchanged	0	0	0	0	3	25.00
		Increased	1	4.76	0	0	1	8.33
		Decreased	20	95.24	20	100	8	66.67

Most farmers in Banggae province of cocoa production remains the same but those in Banggae (61.11 %) and increased of 66.67% in production was reported by most farmers in Pamboang and most farmers in Sendana. Most farmers however noted a decrease in cassava production. The decrease in cassava production while increasing and unchanged in coconut and cocoa production may be attributable to the higher demand for soil nutrients by cassava compared to coconut and cocoa.

CONCLUSION

Leucaena based feeding of goat increased farmers income, improves social welfare of farmers and improve fertility and crop yields of permanent crops. With these benefits derived from Leucaena, farmers tend to improved management of the plant for higher yield and to obtain more benefits.

REFERENCES

Anonymous. 1998. Majene dalam Angka. Kerjasama Bappeda Tk. II Majene dan Badan Pusat Statistik Kabupaten majene. BPS Kabupaten Majene Propinsi Sulawesi Selatan.

Anonymous. 1999. PDRB Kabupaten Tk. II Majene. Kerjasama Bappeda Tk. II Majene dan Badan Pusat Statistik Kabupaten majene. BPS Kabupaten Majene Propinsi Sulawesi Selatan.

Devendra, C. 1993.  Sustainable Animal Production from Small Farm System in South–East Asia. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper 106. FAO of the United Nations, Rome.

Horne, P.M., D.W. Catchphoole and A. Ella. 1986. Introducing New Forage Species into Existing Vegetation. In Forage in SouthEast Asian and South Pacific Agriculture (Edited by G.J. Blair, D.A. Ivory and T.R. Evans). International Centre for Agricultural Research, Canberra.