Aris Is ‘Cool’ With Animal Science


The third instalment of our series on skills development alumni.
  • Aris Nurtumitah, participant of the first Partnership internship program
  • Aris Nurtumitah with PT Nutricel Pacific colleagues

Name                       :  Aris Nurtumitah

Age                          :  23

Institution                 :  Agricultural Development Polytechnic of Malang

Region                     :  East Java, Indonesia

Course                     :  Partnership ISPI Internship Program

Program Graduate   :  2019

 

When Aris Nurtumitah had to choose a field of study at university, animal science had never crossed her mind. 

“I wanted to study something cool,” she said. “For me, at that time, animal husbandry was not cool. It was not interesting.” 

A family member suggested she apply to the Agricultural Development Polytechnic in Malang, East Java. 

Aris agreed to apply, but even then she nominated farming as her preferred field of study. She soon found out that she had instead been accepted into animal husbandry.

“At first, I didn’t know if I wanted to take it,” Aris said. “But I also didn’t know what else I would do.”

It did not take long for Aris to realise that animal husbandry involves a lot more than just taking care of cows. She loved the subject of biology at high school, and quickly discovered how interrelated the two fields of study are. 

Not only did Aris enjoy discovering the science behind cattle farming, she also learned how to communicate with people and be a problem-solver for local farmers.

“I like dealing with people and helping the community,” Aris said. “Over time, I fell in love with animal husbandry, especially after I spent a lot of time with the animals.” 

Aris achieved good results at the university and when she was about to graduate, a lecturer told her about an internship program conducted by the Partnership and the Indonesian Society of Animal Science (ISPI), and encouraged her to apply.

The internship program, which aims to equip participants with hands-on learning and practical working experience, was scheduled to commence in November 2019 and run for three months.

“When I saw other participants coming from prestigious universities, like IPB (Bogor institute of Agriculture) and UGM (Gadjah Mada University), that made me anxious,” she laughed. 

Under the program, a total of 25 recent graduates in animal science, from universities across Indonesia, were assigned to feedlots, meat retailers, cattle export enterprises, and integrated cattle and oil palm operations in Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan.

Aris was assigned to PT Nutricell Pacific, an innovative animal nutrition and health company in Tangerang, West Java, where she learned about the business processes behind animal science. 

“We also learned a lot about media marketing,” she said. 

During the internship Aris was involved in a major project for the company. She was part of a team dedicated to developing a smartphone application called Nuvet, which is designed to facilitate better communications between farmers and veterinarians. 

The application aims to assist farmers in remote rural areas who have difficulty reaching out to veterinarians when they encounter health issues with their cattle.

“There are many apps like this for people, where patients can easily consult with a doctor about some symptoms or a sickness,” Aris said. “But there was none in Indonesia for farmers and veterinarians, as far as I know.” 

The application has been launched and is now available in the Google Play store. 

Aris said her experience with the internship program has reinforced her love for animal science and cattle farming.

“It’s an excellent program for fresh graduates to get work experience at some of the largest cattle companies,” she said. “The training made me want to continue to help people in this field.” 

Because of her performance in the program, Aris was asked by PT Nutricell Pacific to join the company following her internship—a fantastic outcome for both Aris and PT Nutricell.  

For more information on the Partnership’s Skills Development Programs, visit https://redmeatcattlepartnership.org/project/3/capacity-building