Palace Claims 1,098 Prabowo Sacrificed Cows from Local Farmers

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto's 1,098 sacrificial cows for Eid al-Adha 1447 Hijriah are not only placed as religious assistance. The palace said the program was also aimed at mobilizing local farmers and strengthening the domestic meat supply.

Deputy Minister of State Secretary Juri Ardiantoro said that all of the President's sacrificial cows came from local farmers. Procurement was carried out through coordination between the Ministry of State Secretariat, the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Agriculture, regional livestock services, and the Indonesian Cattle and Fattening Cattle Association.

"The sources of the cows were all from local farmers," Juri said at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday, May 26.

According to Juri, the President hopes that the need for annual sacrificial cows will be an incentive for farmers to improve the quality of livestock. The government wants the demand for premium cows to encourage productivity, not just an annual transaction ahead of Eid al-Adha.

The standard of the President's sacrificial cow is quite high. The weight is 800 kilograms to 1.3 tons. The cow must be a male, over two years old, healthy, not deformed, and have a certificate of animal health.

The type of cow chosen is also not an ordinary cow. The palace said Simental, Limosin, Peranakan Ongole, Brahman, Angus, Bali Cow, FH, Belgian Blue, and Charolaise were on the list.

However, the high standard also shows the work of the national livestock. Of the 552 recipient areas, there are 46 areas that do not have cows with weights according to the President's standards. As a result, the area received two cows as a replacement for one large-weight cow.

For the local government, the Palace prepared 598 cows. The rest, 500 heads, were given to pesantren, educational institutions, religious institutions, religious figures, and community leaders.

The jury said the President wanted the sacrificial meat to reach the people in need. Therefore, the distribution was carried out through the local government and institutions or figures who were considered capable of ensuring distribution in the field.

"The President hopes that this is also a momentum for the development of the livestock industry in Indonesia independently and to meet the needs of food, especially domestic beef," said Juri.