Enaknya Jadi Peternak, Tanpa Ngarit Raup Untung 3 Digit

Summary

Muhammad Farid Akrom, the owner of a goat and sheep farm in Indonesia, shares his journey of starting a livestock farming business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite facing challenges like financial struggles, imported meat competition, and market fraud, Farid emphasizes the importance of creating a sustainable business model through cooperation with local suppliers and a focus on quality. His system promotes mutual benefits for all involved, from farmers to consumers. Farid advises aspiring entrepreneurs to persevere, learn from failures, and always focus on building strong systems rather than simply expanding scale.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker started their farming journey with a 'nekat' (bold) approach, investing in education for farming and starting a goat and sheep farm during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 😀 The farming business is focused on three areas: goat milk production, sheep meat production, and feed production.
• 😀 Indonesia's farming prospects, especially for goats and sheep, are strong due to the religious demand for products like akikah (sacrificial meat) and qurban (sacrificial animals).
• 😀 Goats and sheep are distinct in their feeding habits, with goats eating leaves and sheep eating grass, which also affects their physical traits such as neck length.
• 😀 A closed system approach is used, aiming for mutual profit for all parties involved, including farmers, feed producers, and meat sellers.
• 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of proper management and focus in farming, urging farmers to choose whether they want to focus on breeding or fattening animals.
• 😀 One of the biggest challenges in the industry is the competition with cheaper imported meats and dairy products, making it difficult for local farmers to survive.
• 😀 The government’s role is critical in addressing the issues with the meat and dairy imports, and the speaker advocates for better support and regulation for goat and sheep farming.
• 😀 The speaker advises fellow farmers to be patient and understand the system behind successful farming rather than focusing only on the number of animals raised.
• 😀 Key lessons from the speaker’s experience include the importance of sincerity in farming, maintaining calm and focus, and ensuring a strong system for the farm's operations.
• 😀 The speaker has experienced significant losses, including being deceived by third parties in the trade, but maintains an optimistic outlook and advises others to keep moving forward despite setbacks.

Q & A

What was the main motivation behind the speaker's decision to start a goat farming business?

The speaker decided to start a goat farming business during the COVID-19 pandemic when they were struggling to find a job. They took a leap of faith and invested in the business as a way to create opportunities for themselves.

What are the key differences between goats and sheep as explained in the transcript?

The key difference is that goats eat leaves, while sheep eat grass. Additionally, sheep do not have the strong odor that goats have due to their diet. Physically, sheep have shorter necks compared to goats, whose necks are longer because of their diet.

How does the speaker's farming system operate, and what is the focus?

The speaker has implemented a closed system in their farming business. This system ensures that all aspects, including animal farming, feed processing, slaughtering, and retail (e.g., satay stalls), are integrated so that all parties involved, such as feed suppliers and breeders, benefit equally. The goal is to create a mutually beneficial and self-sustaining system.

What challenges did the speaker face while setting up the farming business?

The speaker faced two main challenges: finding a team with the necessary skills for farming and managing a large number of farmers with different goals and expectations. Aligning everyone towards a shared vision was difficult. Additionally, managing the sale and distribution of the animals posed challenges when external parties interfered.

What is the role of imported meat and milk in the farming business, and how does it impact local farmers?

Imported meat and milk have become a significant challenge for local farmers. The speaker mentions that imported meat, especially from countries like the Netherlands, is much cheaper than locally produced meat, which negatively impacts local farmers. The influx of imported products also competes with traditional religious markets like aqiqah (sacrificial animal offerings), affecting local sales.

What is the speaker's stance on the role of the government in the livestock industry?

The speaker believes that the government should take a more active role in regulating the livestock industry, especially in the context of imported meat and milk. They argue that the government should protect local livestock farmers from unfair competition and ensure that quality standards are maintained.

How did the speaker manage to finance their business initially?

Initially, the speaker financed their business with personal savings and by taking a risk during the pandemic. They spent around 300 million IDR to build the farm and used the remaining funds to purchase sheep for fattening. After two years, they recovered their initial investment.

What makes goat milk farming a promising business according to the speaker?

Goat milk farming is seen as a promising business because it has dual benefits: the sale of milk and the sale of goats for religious events like sacrifices. The speaker also mentions that goat milk production can help cover feed costs, making it a sustainable business model.

What does the speaker suggest is the reason for failures in goat farming businesses?

According to the speaker, many goat farming businesses fail due to poor management and a lack of clear focus. Farmers often fail to specialize and try to do everything, which leads to confusion and inefficiency. The speaker stresses the importance of having a clear focus, such as whether to breed goats or fatten them for meat.

What was the most significant lesson the speaker learned from their experience in goat farming?

The most significant lesson the speaker learned was the importance of sincerity in farming. They stress that taking care of animals requires patience and resilience, as the risk of loss (such as animal deaths) is inevitable. Additionally, they learned not to be overly ambitious and to focus on building a strong system rather than trying to scale too quickly.