Jennie with farm workers in her farm

In 2017, Jenni Sulistiani, a successful poultry farmer in Lampung Timur District, Lampung, had to close her 25-year-old broiler-farming business due to bankruptcy of unfair competition from the commercial poultry industry. “Over 100 farmers under my mentorship had to experience the hit,” said Jenni. She was depressed and stressed following the loss of her broiler business but fought back and started to focus on layer chicken farming. She realized that she could no longer work alone but had to unite and work together with others.

Jenni then reached out to all the layer farmers she knew, joined the national association of layer-chicken famers in the beginning of 2018 and established the Pinsar Peternak Nasional (PPN) Lampung Province Branch. Jenni was elected as the Chair of PPN Lampung, which currently has 100 members.

Poultry Farm Plus

In mid-2018, PPN Lampung was introduced to the FAO ECTAD Indonesia Commercial Poultry Program by the PPN Central Board. FAO has conducted many poultry health improvement activities with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Ministry of Agriculture. “Since 2009, we have supported the government in preventing, detecting and responding to the bird flu pandemic threat, starting with capacity building of 150 Veterinary Service Officers (VSO) in more than 50 districts and followed training of more than 9,000 commercial poultry farmers to improve biosecurity, vaccination and good management practices in their poultry farms,” said James McGrane, Team Leader of FAO ECTAD Indonesia.

PPN Lampung was very enthusiastic about implementing 3-zone biosecurity in their farms, where it keeps chickens free from disease, reduces the use of antibiotics to 40% and disinfectants to 30%, and most importantly increases egg production. “Our farms have to reach a higher level, not only for poultry health, but so that farmers gain the added market premium for high quality eggs,” says Jenni. This spirit is captured well by Lampung Provincial Livestock Service Office, which then encourages biosecure farms to apply for food hygiene and sanitary certification (NKV Veterinary Control Number) from the government. With the support from FAO and eight months mentoring by trained Lampung VSOs, ten-layer farms were awarded the NKV certificate.

Work Together

PPN Lampung’s success in gaining NKV certification is due to the support from Provincial and District Livestock Services, University of Lampung (UNILA), and all private poultry companies. Aligned with their motto, “a home for the farmers”, it shows a good example of successful association in implementing Public-Private Partnership program.

The 2018 livestock and animal health statistics records that there are over 5.5 million-layer chickens in Lampung and according to PPN, around 20% of their production is sold to Jakarta, thus the importance of NKV certification. “After receiving the NKV certificate, I developed the production of Omega-3 eggs that are low-cholesterol, and sell them to Jakarta and West Java. With NKV we can fashion our own brand of eggs, sell them across province borders, and supply supermarkets to gain double the price,” reveals Albert Lasamahu, a layer farmer who was the first to be awarded NKV certificate.

Albert’s experience encourages PPN Lampung to obtain more NKV certificate. “If we can get 15 NKV certificates or more this year, it will be a national record not previously achieved, and we definitely will need all the support, including from FAO and USAID,” says Jenni with excitement.

According to Anwar Fuadi, Head of Lampung Province Animal Health Services, “One of the keys to obtain the NKV is to implement good biosecurity practices as a soul of hygiene and sanitation. In the past, chicken farms used to look like sleazy massage parlours, dirty and smelly. Now, after 3-zone biosecurity is implemented, you can see that they are clean and look like a children’s playground with red, yellow and green zones”. Anwar also adds that there are three benefits of NKV certificates for farmers: ensuring ASUH (Safe, Healthy, Whole and Halal) products, increasing market value, and product traceability.

FAO and USAID currently are actively raising community awareness of the hazards of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a global health threat. PPN Lampung’s actions represent a prevention measure, starting from poultry farms, to provide healthy food. Our consumers are becoming smarter and in the future, they will be more selective in choosing the food they consume. (AK)