REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PEKANBARU -- The province of Riau is highly potential to become the largest cow breeding center in Sumatra with the availability of large oil palm plantations as a source of basic material for animal feed.

"Riau has large oil palm plantations to supply animal feed basic material," Riau Governor Arsyadjuliandi Rachman said here on Monday.

Arsyadjuliandi said Riau would become a big cow breeding center if the agriculture and animal husbandry ministry provide its assistance program of providing cow breeders.

In fact the program is already in progress , he said, adding, the ministry already started providing cow breeders for Riau in the first year of the program in 2015, he said.

Before the program was launched, many farmers in Riau already had an integrated program of breeding cows in integration with oil palm plantations though in smaller scale, he said.

He said Riau, which has the largest oil palm plantation in the country, is ready to carry out the program depending on the assistance from the the government

"We are very much ready. Even if the government wants us to grow 100,000 cow breeders, we are ready," he said.

The governor, therefore, said he hopes that the agriculture and animal husbandry ministry would utilize the potentials Riau has.

He said Riau rely on supply from other regions for fresh meat requirement especially ahead and during religious day celebrations such as Idul Fitri.

He said Riau has been ready with human resources to manage cowe farms as local farmers already have the experience in integrated farming growing oil palm plantation and cow breeding farms.

"No regencies in priority to develop the cow breeding center as all districts in the province are equally potential," he said, adding "all have oil plantations."

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