Bali Cattle 2022

The Balinese love their cattle and still keep about 600,000 head despite the fact that their role is now largely as a store of value as they are no longer used for draft purposes. Balinese beef consumption is modest.  Animals can still be seen tethered out for grazing during the day all over Bali.

Feeder cattle grazing under oil palms.

I have been one of the most enthusiastic supporters of breeding cattle in palm plantations since I first saw this type of operation in Malaysia in the 1980’s. A number of Indonesian palm plantation companies have conducted trials over recent years with mostly positive results in terms of production but with marginal financial returns. In…

Man and cow, an incredibly powerful bond.

As see first on Central Station A lot of my work in Asia is with small farmers who receive imported Australian Brahman cross breeders.  My main focus with these farmers is helping them to understand the special differences between Australian breeders and their local cattle.  The indigenous cows are a Nelore type Bos indicus that…

Aussie Meat Pies – in Jakarta.

I have been a major fan of Australian meat pies since I was a small boy.  From school lunches, to party pies at social functions, to a half-time treat at the football, a pie with tomato sauce is one of my most favourite foods.  I have probably been eating pies at an average of about…

Indonesian Beef Policy – 2017

Question.  Why have Indonesian government policies been so unsuccessful at influencing their national beef industry? Answer.  Because it is not really a beef industry. The Indonesian government is concerned about food security just like every other government around the world.  High levels of beef and live cattle imports building up to huge volumes in 2009/2010…

In search of the Best Steak in Bali.

A major travel blog recently crowned Bali as the world’s number one beach resort, and Indonesia (a proxy for Bali) remains among the most popular overseas travel destinations for Australians. Having lived in Bali now for about 10 months I disagree with the view that Bali is simply a “beach resort”.  In my view, Bali…