Enhancing cattle population in Indonesia using oil-palm industry biomass through system dynamic based approach

Indonesia is the most significant area for oil-palm plantation, but their massive biomass has not been utilized optimally for feed. The study assessed the use of potential biomass in the oil-palm industry to increase the cattle population through technological innovation. Secondary data has been used for 2020, along with the technical parameter coefficient from previous research. A causal loop diagram (CLD) was designed to describe the interrelated causality in the form of a close loop or causal feedback loop. The data were analyzed through a system dynamics-based approach, and the simulation model was carried out for projection in the year 2023 until 2030. The CLD consists of three sub-model, i.e., (a) oil-palm industry biomass, (b) calving rate, conception rate, and mortality, and (c) cattle population and beef production. The area of mature land has been used to estimate its biomass that yields natural grasses, palm leaves, palm fronds, solid decanter, and palm kernel cake. Feed demand has been estimated yearly on a dry matter (DM) basis, and intervention technology has been applied to body condition scores (BCS). The analysis has shown that increasing BCS by 0.5 points may increase feed demand by an average of 2.74 tons DM/AU/year, and the cattle population has increased by 528,459 AU. The biomass resource has a surplus of 16,431,949 tons DM due to the rising land maturity of oil-palm plantations and fresh fruit bunch by 1.58%. Hence, the use of oil-palm industry biomass through technological intervention may increase the cattle population in Indonesia.