The development of the poultry industry requires farmers not only to increase productivity but also to implement safer and more sustainable farming practices. One major challenge is the use of Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGPs), which have the potential to trigger antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a condition where bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.
To address this challenge, the community service team implemented a mentoring program for 27 broiler farmers in Banyuwangi by introducing probiotics as an alternative to AGP while also educating them on circular economy-based livestock waste management.
Through the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, farmers are actively involved in training, demonstrations, field practice, and discussions so that the technology introduced can be applied according to their business conditions.
The program demonstrated encouraging results. Farmers' understanding of the mechanisms of probiotic action increased from 37,0% before training to 85,2% after mentoring. Technical skills in developing probiotic-based functional feed also increased by 33,4%, while 96,3% of participants expressed readiness to implement more sustainable farming practices.
These findings indicate that the primary obstacle to innovation adoption lies not in farmers' resistance to change, but rather in limited access to technological knowledge and support. By integrating probiotic use and improved waste management, this program serves as a concrete example of how modern livestock farming can increase productivity while supporting public health and environmental sustainability.
Read the full article: View of Towards a Micro-Circular Economy in Poultry Production: Integrating Probiotic Substitution and Waste Valorization to Mitigate Environmental Impact
Infographic compilation team:
- Bodhi Agustono, drh., M.Si
- Maya Nurwartanti, drh., M.Si
- Azhar Burhanuddin, S.KH