Milk cooperative in Indonesia ready for the future

Indonesia Dairy & Beef Cattle, Sheep & Goat Production

7000

Active members

15

Communities involved

300

Employees

95

Tons of fresh milk per day

PUM shares knowledge to strengthen businesses and improve lives. The same goal is pursued by milk cooperative KPSP Setia Kawan. This farmers’ initiative in East Java with 7,000 active members trains farmers in, among other things, improving the milk production of their cows to improve members’ livelihoods. PUM assisted the cooperative in several areas in recent years.

“The cooperation started with PUM with improving the quality of cattle feed and now we are at the stage of starting to process milk into other products, including mozzarella.” Manager Farhan Susanto of milk cooperative KPSP is not alone in his efforts to future-proof the cooperative. The cooperative’s management consists of seven people. There are also three consultants and 300 employees. “Our main focus is on improving members’ livelihood, so we try to provide them with the best possible service,” he says. No light task with 7,000 active (and 4,000 inactive) members in 15 villages. The cooperative trains farmers in improving their production and collects milk to sell on to Indolacto, a dairy factory. Farmers can borrow and save money from a special section of the cooperative and there is a shop where they can buy the cooperative’s products. At a feed mill, KPSP produces concentrate feed for cows.

New technologies

Before the visit of the PUM experts, the production of concentrate feed was too low. PUM expert Harm Klein specialises in manufacturing machinery for feed mills. He helped KPSP increase the quantity of feed. It was then the task of Herman to train farmers on how to improve the quality of fresh fodder. That training included young farmers. This is no coincidence: “We have a new programme called Millennial Farmers, to encourage the younger generation to become farmers. The younger generation is easily adopting new technologies to help the cooperative in the future.”

A visit to Muhammad Hilal Ferdiansyah endorses that vision. Hilal’s farm is an example of the impact of the trainings: “During the PUM training, I learnt a lot about animal welfare. Most farmers here tie up their cows and I learnt to let them walk freely. Another thing we learnt was how to improve feed. We used to use only Napier grass, but the expert taught us to mix it with other types of plants, which have high nutritional value. I now do both.” Hilal graduated in animal husbandry and became a farmer because Nongkojajar and its surroundings are suitable for farming and because he wants to help improve conditions for farmers. Farhan Susanto is optimistic after the visits of the fodder experts about those improvements: “After the visit of the PUM experts, the quality and quantity of fodder has increased, which has resulted in higher quality and quantity of milk itself, which has improved farmers’ livelihoods.”

But KPSP does not want to stop there. “Currently, the demand for fresh milk is very high and we have the dream of exporting our finished products abroad, which is why the cooperation with PUM and especially the last visit is very important for us.”

Farhan Susanto

Manager of milk cooperative KPSP

“Before the PUM expert came to KPSP, our feed production was very low. After implementing his recommendations on the machinery we were able to increase our feed quantity.”

Sustainable growth

PUM expert Catrinus van der Sluis advised KPSP on the production of pasteurised milk and mozzarella. A process that requires more time. The first pasteuriser, financed from the Hans Blankert Fund, has just gone into operation. According to Catrinus, this opens up a world of new possibilities for KPSP. “Indeed, this machine allows KPSP to extract more value for the farmers from their milk and it also provides additional employment to local women. It is great that we as PUM have contributed to this beautiful development.”