UNAIR NEWS – Dairy farming has its potential in the economic and livestock sectors. Milk production and its processed products have increased significantly in Indonesia. During the current pandemic, dairy farming businesses still run well because the demand for milk is still high as a nutrient to boost immunity.
So far, the milk production by farmers has been accommodated by the village cooperative (KUD) as a farmers’ partner. The dairy products are then diversified into yoghurt, milk chips, and other products with a high selling value.
Therefore, training is needed to produce dairy products and how to start a dairy farm business. Beginners also need a management system development and product diversification business analysis to run well on target.
Dairy farming is an important asset for the continuity of milk production and is the main economic support for farmers. KUD Kertajaya receives milk from 500 dairy farmers in Medowo Village, Kandangan, Kediri. The KUD unit can collect 11,000 liters of milk from around 1900 dairy cows in Medowo Village. This community empowerment is for ± 100 people consisting of partners in KUD Kertajaya and international participants from the World University Association for Community Development (WUACD) through virtual zoom meeting.
Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) continues to provide services and increase its international impact. Through this community empowerment program, the objectives of the “Freedom of Learning” program will be achieved through student inbound, MoA with partners, social development copyrights, international collaboration, publications, and business start-up skill development for students and partners. In particular, this program is expected to improve dairy farming business planning.
Lita Rakhma Yustinasari, drh., M.Vet. as the speaker in the workshop on the second day, Wednesday, August 4, 2021, said that yoghurt is a healthy drink made of fermented milk. The word yoghurt comes from the Turkish language, which means sour milk.
Yoghurt is a dairy product high in protein, calcium, vitamins, and live cultures or probiotics to improve gut microbiota. These nutrients, she added, can offer protection for bones and teeth and help prevent digestive problems.
“Low-fat yoghurt can be a useful source of protein for a weight loss diet. Probiotics can boost the immune system,” explained the woman currently pursuing a PhD at Yamaguchi University, Japan.
On an economic scale, she said, the yoghurt business is promising because with simple processing, by adding bacterial culture, this dairy product can be an alternative for farmers on how to process milk from their farms.
The workshop program was held via Zoom meetings and streamed live on Youtube. The committee also provided video recordings with bilingual subtitles to maintain the quality of information. Furthermore, participants gained the latest experience on traditional dairy farming models and business development opportunities in the future.
Author: Muhammad Suryadiningrat
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
