Gretania Residiwati, Habib S. A. Tuska, Oloan Parlindungan, Sri W. Siswanti, Bart Leemans, Karen Goossens, Siti E. Rochmi, Budiono, Agung Budiyanto, Bambang Purwantara, Bonick Kartini Lonameo, Osvaldo B. Pascottini, Geert Opsomer, ANN VAN Soom
To meet the growing national demand for beef, the Indonesian government has introduced the Belgian Blue (BB), a double-muscled cattle breed originating from Belgium, renowned for its exceptional carcass yield. This initiative represents the first large-scale effort to integrate a temperate taurine genotype into Indonesia’s tropical environment through the use of Embryo Transfer (ET) and Artificial Insemination (AI) technologies. The BB’s pronounced muscle hypertrophy offers considerable potential to enhance national beef productivity, with projected increases in carcass yield. This potentially underscores the benefits of introducing the BB breed in Indonesia. However, its application in tropical systems presents notable challenges. As a pure taurine breed, the BB demonstrates limited adaptability to high temperature and humidity, rendering it highly susceptible to heat stress. In addition, its muscular conformation is associated with an elevated incidence of dystocia, requiring advanced obstetric care, while its intensive nutritional requirements may pose environmental sustainability concerns. This review synthesizes empirical findings from the past decade of field implementation across six (6) Indonesian provinces and benchmarks the performance of BB cattle against local breeds. By critically examining both the opportunities and limitations of BB integration, this paper offers novel insights beyond prior literature centered on European contexts. It concludes by highlighting strategic considerations for policymakers, veterinarians, and farmers to foster a more sustainable and efficient beef production system tailored to Indonesia’s unique agro-climatic conditions. © 2025, Society for Indonesian Biodiversity. All rights reserved.
Department of Anatomy, Embryology, and Histology, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. Puncak Dieng, East Java, Malang, 65151, Indonesia; Department of Reproduction, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. Puncak Dieng, East Java, Malang, 65151, Indonesia; Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction, and Population Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke, 9820, Belgium; Doctoral Program in Environmental Science, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. MT. Haryono 169, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Livestock Embryo Centre Cipelang, Ministry of Agriculture Republic of Indonesia, Jl. KH. Halim 9, West Java, Bogor, 16004, Indonesia; Department of Eqiune Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CS, Netherlands; Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Burgemeester Van Gansberghelaan 92/1, Merelbeke, 9820, Belgium; Department of Health, Faculty of Vocational Studies, Universitas Airlangga, Jl. Darmawangsa Dalam Selatan, East Java, Surabaya, 60286, Indonesia; Univesitas Gajayana. Jl. Mertojoyo, East Java, Malang, 65144, Indonesia; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Univesitas Gajah Mada, Jl. Fauna 2, Sleman, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Department of Clinic, Reproduction and Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Jl. Agatis Lingkar Kampus IPB Dramaga, West Java, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia; Department of Biochemistry, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya, Jl. Puncak Dieng, East Java, Malang, 65151, Indonesia; School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
