Animal Husbandry: a Balinese Cultural Perspective goes International

Animal Husbandry: a Balinese Cultural Perspective goes International

By Lindawati Doloksaribu

There is a general demand by International Society for socio-cultural sustainability of animal husbandry, which includes promoting animal welfare, environmental protection and providing healthy and safe food.  Fortunately, Hindu Balinese families have been applying this perspective and practical since the history of Bali culture exists as Hindu Balinese families have a strong family bonding with sesuhunan or their great ancestors as an “intangible heritage” in the form of keeping family’s rules, rituals and ceremonies.  This intangible heritage is bonded with the family’s property, such as the family’s temple, house, rice field, farm or other family’s belongings.  Furthermore, traditional crop-livestock farming in Bali is environment orientated based on the Tri Hita Karana concept, a traditional philosophy for life on the island of Bali for “three causes of well-being” or “three reasons for prosperity”.  The concept emphasis the well-being of human is achieved when life has a harmony between people, nature or environment, and God. 

The objective of the International Program of Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Udayana University is to promote the concept of sustainability of the Animal Husbandry in Balinese Cultural Perspective to the International Society particularly International Students, Farmers or Farmer associations, Biologists, Culinary Lovers, Monks, and General Tourists through study in Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Udayana University, or Summer Course Program or Ten Days of Animal Husbandry Course Programmes. 

Marketable programmes

Faculty of Animal Husbandry UNUD has at least four marketable programmes such as Livestock in attraction, Livestock in culinary, Livestock in ceremony and Livestock in conservation based on Balinese cultural perspective that are marketable.  These programmes could be offered in a semester for undergraduate students or four semesters plus a small research for Master Degree.  When they are listed, then we do know that actually there are huge of marketable programmes based on Lecture and Leisure that could be offered to International society.

Makepung buffalo held in Jembrana Regency and Tabuh Rah Rooster are two exciting livestock attractions.  Like sheep that were gone from Bali Province, buffalo will also be gone unless the Makepung will be gone, too or it stops using buffalo but other large ruminants.  The history reveals that Balinese farmers used to use buffalo to plough their rice fields as well as to transport the harvest, and the farmers used to put their buffaloes in a race for the fastest harvest transporting buffalo.  Another example that Balinese culture sustains the livestock production is the Ngusaba Guling or suckling pig parade where they use no other pig breed but Bali pig that is considered as endangered breed.  Farmers are provided and encouraged to rear Bali pigs.  This regular parade held in Karangasem Regency means that Balinese socio-cultural sustains the animal husbandry, which includes promoting animal welfare and animal breed conservation.

Lecture and Leisure

Participants of these programmes are not spectators only; rather they all are involved in all activities during the Short Programmes.  Enjoying specific leisure where participants are related to the livestock.  For example, participants enjoy on farm lecturing when Tumpek Kandang Ceremony is held for farmers livestock.  It would be full of excitement, too, when participants are involved in cooking Balinese cuisine and have lunch/dinner together.  Lecturing is packaged as leisure, so participants enjoy the whole package. 

Capable human resources

There Balinese Professors or experts are available in Faculty of Animal Husbandry to set up the International Programmes or International Short Course Programmes as well as to run lectures both in Bahasa Indonesia and English.  For example, Professor I Gede Mahardika will be happy to run lecturing regarding Livestock in attractions particularly about the historical background of Makepung and Tabuh Rah; Specific nutrient requirements of animals for attractions; or Rearing management for champion animals.

Interlink

The International Programmes would be more beneficial when they are held through interlinks with other remarkable institutions i.e. Overseas university, overseas farmer associations, both overseas and local travel agents, tourist centres, local restaurants as well as particular personals.  These interlinks would be able to provide better starting point for the International Programmes have a go.  Great to imagine when a group of International Society stay a couple of nights in Sepang Village, Busungbiu Buleleng Regency.  International Society are involved in serving dinner with Balinese cuisines as well as Balinese music and dance.  At dawn they enjoy cool trekking with beautiful panorama of coffee plantations and drinking beautiful taste of coffee served with embeeeeekkk and mooooooooo livestock sound.  Overseas could enjoy the beautiful living harmony in Balinese village.  Not only these programmes will improve the economy of villagers but these programmes will also improve the collaborative works with Udayana University particularly with the Faculty of Animal Husbandry.