Mataram, Universitas Mataram — Every livestock farming activity generates two sides: livestock as a source of income and waste as an environmental challenge. In Nyerot Village, Jonggat District, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), cattle manure that was previously not optimally managed is now being recognized as a resource with practical and economic value for farmers.

Before the assistance program was introduced, cattle manure generated from livestock activities was often left to accumulate around the animal pens. This condition had the potential to affect environmental cleanliness, produce unpleasant odors, and reduce the comfort of communities living near livestock areas.

The issue of livestock waste management became one of the focuses of Universitas Mataram’s (Unram) Impactful Professors Program through the initiative titled “Adoption and Dissemination of Feed Processing and Livestock Waste Management Technologies to Improve Farmers’ Economic Welfare in Central Lombok Regency.”

The program is led by Prof. Ir. Yusuf Akhyar Sutaryono, Ph.D., together with a team of academics consisting of Prof. Dr. Ir. Syamsul Hidayat Dilaga, M.S.; Prof. Ir. Dahlanuddin, M.Rur.Sc., Ph.D.; Dr. Ir. Hermansyah, M.Si.; Prof. Dr. Djumardin, S.H., M.Hum.; Dr. Ir. I Wayan Yasa, S.T., M.T., IPM.; and Prof. Dr. Ir. Maskur, M.Si.

Through the program, the Unram academic team provided assistance to the “Pantang Mundur” Livestock Farmers’ Group in Nyerot Village to improve livestock waste management and turn it into more useful and economically valuable products. The program not only focuses on improving livestock productivity but also encourages farmers to utilize waste as a new resource.

Before the training was conducted, managing animal waste was one of the challenges in traditional livestock farming systems. Poorly managed waste could reduce the sanitation quality of animal pens and pollute the surrounding environment.

Through the Impactful Professors Program, farmers were introduced to a more structured approach to managing cattle manure. Manure that had previously been considered an environmental problem was collected and used as raw material for producing compost manure (Figure 2).

This approach is part of the circular economy concept, which transforms previously low-value waste into products with practical and economic value. Cattle manure and urine, which could potentially create sanitation problems, are processed into solid and liquid organic fertilizers. Through training and mentoring, farmers gained knowledge on how to process cattle manure into compost that can be used for agricultural purposes or developed into a marketable product.

The process begins with collecting cattle manure at a designated facility (Figure 1), followed by composting until it produces organic fertilizer ready for use (Figure 2). The compost produced from livestock waste provides multiple benefits for the farmers’ group. In addition to helping maintain cleaner animal pens, the product can also support local agricultural activities.

Figure 1. Cattle manure collection facility

Figure 2. Cattle manure after being processed into compost fertilizer

One member of the farmers’ group explained that the collected cattle manure has been used as organic fertilizer for crops such as corn and rice. The group has been producing and using compost since around 2010 and continues to do so today. Following the training and mentoring, farmers have gained a better understanding that livestock waste is not merely a by-product that needs to be discarded, but can also become an additional source of income.

The compost produced can be used for the farmers’ own agricultural needs or developed into a marketable product. In this way, farmers can gain additional economic benefits from managing waste that was previously underutilized.

The production of compost manure demonstrates that the livestock sector can generate not only its primary product—livestock—but also economically valuable by-products. Through the circular economy approach, livestock waste can be reused as an input for agricultural production.

This transformation has contributed to improving farmers’ welfare. Animal pens have become cleaner, livestock management more organized, and farmers have gained additional income opportunities through the sale of compost fertilizer (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Delivery of compost fertilizer to a customer

Improved livestock waste management also contributes to better cattle husbandry practices. Clean animal pens and proper sanitation systems support livestock health and increase external stakeholders’ confidence in the quality of the group’s cattle. Integrating livestock farming, waste management, and agriculture is an important approach to developing more self-reliant and environmentally friendly smallholder livestock systems.

The processing of cattle manure into compost fertilizer is closely linked to several targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Processing cattle manure into compost represents the reuse of waste as a resource. Livestock waste is no longer viewed solely as a problem but as a useful and economically valuable product through a circular economy approach.

SDG 13: Climate Action. Improved livestock waste management helps reduce negative environmental impacts and supports more sustainable livestock and agricultural systems.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Converting livestock waste into organic fertilizer creates new economic opportunities for farmers through products that can be used directly or sold as an additional source of income.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger. The use of organic fertilizer produced from livestock waste supports sustainable agriculture by providing a natural source of nutrients for food crops such as corn and rice.

Through the Impactful Professors Program, Unram demonstrates that simple technological innovations can create tangible changes in communities. Transforming cattle manure into compost fertilizer is not only a solution to waste management challenges but also a strategic step toward building productive, environmentally friendly, and economically viable smallholder livestock systems.

From a simple livestock pen in Nyerot Village, a sustainable practice has emerged: when properly managed, waste can be transformed into a resource that benefits farmers, agriculture, and the environment.

Written by: Prof. Ir. Yusuf Akhyar Sutaryono, Ph.D.