Name : Muhsin Al Anas

Age : 28

Institution : Gadjah Mada University

Region : Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Course : NTCA Indonesia-Australia Pastoral Program

Program Graduate : 2013

Muhsin Al Anas was one of the first Indonesian students to join the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association Indonesia-Australia Pastoral Program (NIAPP) back in 2013. 

At the time, he was an undergraduate at the Animal Husbandry Faculty of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta, where he commenced his studies in 2011.

“After I heard about NIAPP, I got really motivated to join. I wanted to have the best skills in the cattle industry, especially in beef production. I was curious how Australia can produce beef on such a large scale and I wanted to see it for myself,” Muhsin says.

Through NIAPP, Muhsin spent six weeks performing field work at Heytesbury Cattle Company in Australia’s Northern Territory. 

He experienced first-hand how to take care of cattle and gained valuable insights from his involvement in the station’s operations.

Participation in NIAPP prompted Muhsin to pursue a career devoted to improving the cattle industry in Indonesia.

As soon as he completed his undergraduate degree in 2015, he undertook his master’s degree followed by a doctorate. 

Then, in 2018, Muhsin took up a position as a lecturer at UGM’s Faculty of Animal Husbandry, and is now passing on his knowledge to the next generation of young cattle breeders.

“I can’t move on from UGM,” the 28-year-old laughs. “But I am enjoying teaching others what I have learned so far.”

“Not only what I learned in Australia, but also from other participants of NIAPP.”

“Through the program, I have made friends from all over Indonesia and I can find out from them the way they do things in other regions.” 

In a twist of fate, Muhsin now assists in selecting the students from his university who will participate in NIAPP. 

“I was one of the first students from UGM who took part in NIAPP,” he points out. “Now many more students have heard about the program.”

“I hope a lot more students will receive the insights and experiences from Australia, and give back to Indonesia’s cattle sector.”

Aside from his daily activities as a lecturer, Muhsin continually seeks other ways to advance his country’s cattle industry.

He is involved in various educational programs organized by the Partnership, and helped initiate an internship program whereby recent Indonesian Animal Husbandry graduates can gain work experience with large-scale cattle breeding operations (see the skills development article on page 16). Muhsin is currently the internship program’s coordinator.

He is also the driving force behind Gama Sapi 4.0, a digital app that can be used to record Indonesian cattle productivity and compile the data for use by breeders. 

“I had the idea when I was in Australia,” Muhsin says.

“I saw that it was so easy to get data on the cows because of the way the Australians do their recording. Especially when a farm is run by a big company, whatever data there is, will be recorded.” 

Assisted by a team of his students, Muhsin adapted this concept to Indonesia’s smallholder farmers, who account for 99% of the country’s red meat and cattle sector. 

Through the app, a farmer can input data about the productivity of their cattle as well as information about themselves and their farming operation. Other users can then see this data for comparison and planning purposes. 

“We can find out what exactly is happening in our cattle industry, what education the farmers might need, or the breeding or productivity levels of the cows in one area,” Muhsin explains with enthusiasm.

“With that data, we can figure out what to do to improve the industry, when to breed the cows, and how to increase productivity.” 

While it is still in its trial version and available only for the Yogyakarta area, Muhsin’s app has already been downloaded by more than 100 users. He hopes to expand its usage further with the help of the Yogyakarta Animal Husbandry Office. 

Muhsin’s goal is to change the mindset of Indonesian smallholder farmers to incorporate technology into their farms.

For more information on the Partnership’s Skills Development Programs, visit redmeatcattlepartnership.org