Designing an Innovative Feed Planning System for Smallholder Bali Cattle (Bos javanicus) Farmers in Lospalos, Lautem, Timor-Leste

The study was to design an innovative feed planning system for smallholder Bali cattle farmers in Lospalos, Lautem, Timor-Leste. Respondents were interviewed on their Bali cattle farming system and the utilization of natural feed resources either forage grasses, legumes, and agricultural by-products. Proportional random sampling method was used to choose a sample from the number of research subjects that are not the same. The representative samples of forage grasses, legumes, and agricultural by-products were collected per village in Lospalos. The dry matter (DM) yield of fodder crops and by-product productions per hectare per year was calculated. Carrying capacity and carrying capacity index of forages were estimated according to the DM yields. The result shows that Bali cattle was reared under semi-intensive 22.3%, semi-extensive 53.5%, extensive 20.4%, and integrated framing (crop-livestock) was 3.8%. Zero- grazing was not found in this study. Around 68.2% were practiced semi grazing with the combination between cut-and-carry systems and grazing by day. The distribution of agricultural by-product production per year and carrying capacity index shown very critical condition category in all study sites, while, the forage grasses and legumes were in the category of safety in Bauro and Raça. Prone was found in Fuiloro, Souro, and Muapitine, in addition, the critical condition category was found in Home, Leuro, and Cacavei. The major cause of the feed scarcity was drought due to the dry season.