Riding along the road on Merapi slope, we will see salak trees everywhere, as hedgerows, or trees which planted in somebody’s garden, or it is planted in the field. This is Sleman district in D.I Yogyakarta province which is popular with its salak. This district is one of the affected district of Merapi eruption.
I entered a yard; where there is a house and a 3x3m cage near it, in a field of salak tree. It is Mr.Widiatmojo’s house, In Gading hamlet, Somohitan Parish. Mr. Wid is one of the people who run the pilot project broiler ducks. He and his group learn about duck poultry. This is the first phase. Every member of the group which consist of 25 people gets 100 (DOD/day old duck) in the first phase and another 100 DOD in the second phase.
After 6 mount of the Merapi eruption, today he can taste the result of his salak field, but the condition it is not yet normal. The harvesting cycle is not yet normal, it is usually in every 4 mount but now after 6 months, there are only some which can be harvested. To cover the daily need as the alternative, the duck poultry is suggested. Theoretically, in 60 days the broiler duck can be harvested. It means that in every 2 month Mr. Wid can get income from the poultry.
As a pilot project, Mr. Wid should give extra attention to the ducks. He writes all the process from the first day the DOD came until the end (when I met him, it was the 27th day). What they eat and drink, how to feed them, how many death duck in the day, how to treat the duck were noted every day. The death rate of his ducks is high. Until 27 day old, there are only 50% of his ducks which survive. His finding states that the DOD determines the growing of the duck and the quality of the duck. Good quality of DOD, the variety of the DOD and good maintenance of the DOD determine the number of death duck and the quality (weight) of the duck. Those experiences were share to the other group member so that others can learn from his process. One of the other members is Mr. Guido who lives in Ngumbul Hamlet. He takes care of the duck for 12 days and they grow well because of the adapted treatment and the good DOD. Now Mr. Wid gets another 50 DOD and hopefully they’ll grow better.
