Residents replace cooking fuels with biogas from cow dung

Residents in Moroseneng hamlet, Kedaton Induk village, Batanghari Nuban district in East Lampung regency, can afford to smile since they no longer have to worry about the rising price of liquid petroleum gas, propane or kerosene, and no longer depend on cooking fuels because they have replaced them with biogas generated from cow dung.

Hundreds of families in Moroseneng received cattle and financial assistance from Heifer International Indonesia in 2003.

The 30 reproductive cows and studs of the Ongole and Bali varieties Heifer distributed to 30 families have now multiplied to 95 heads of cattle.

Thanks to agricultural guidance from local NGO Yayasan Bimbingan Mandiri (Yabima), in conjunction with the Heifer-initiated livestock program, the recipients of the first batch of cattle have not only improved their well-being, but have also been able to help other villagers.

The Moroseneng villagers are now able to produce organic fertilizer, which more than meets the needs for their rice paddies and farms. They can sell the excess.

In addition, the cattle owners received Rp 20 million (US$1,900) in grants from the Lampung chapter Social and Economic Development of the Indonesian Churches Association (PSEKWI) to make biogas stoves, which allowed the villagers to use cattle manure biogas in their daily cooking.

At least Rp 700,000 is needed to produce a manure-based biogas stove facility.

This is much cheaper than a similar installation produced by the Lampung Husbandry Office, which cost Rp 2.5 million each.

"We assemble the stove ourselves from steel sheets. We buy the sheets at the hardware store, cut them into pieces and weld them. We also buy the burner, pipes and hoses from the store," said Pino, a Moroseneng resident.

Pino, who owns four heads of cattle, said he was no longer worried about the rising price of propane and kerosene.

"We don't use the gas tanks from Pertamina any longer.

"We can save the money we'd usually spend on propane and kerosene to pay for our children's schooling."

He said the village farming community was working toward all Moroseneng residents being able to use biogas stoves.

"A biogas stove only needs manure from two cows, so those who own four cows can produce enough biogas to share with their neighbor."

Pino's wife Darti said besides economical benefits, cooking with a biogas stove was quicker and cleaner compared to a kerosene stove.

"Biogas produces a blue flame, which is free of soot and means that cooking utensils and the kitchen remain clean."

Moroseneng was designated an energy-reliant hamlet by head of the Lampung Animal Husbandry Office Nurcahyo on April 18, due to its success in overcoming poverty and developing an alternative source of energy from cattle manure.

Heifer International Indonesia's southern Sumatra regional program manager Abdul Syam said cattle assistance recipients in Moroseneng had not only benefited themselves but had helped other people by providing cattle and skills to make compost and biogas stoves.

"They are now challenged to turn cow dung into a light energy source. If they succeed, Moroseneng would consequently become completely independent in the field of energy within the next few years."

He added the success of the rolling assistance program in Moroseneng was attributed to people's mind-sets, uidance local NGOs and animal husbandry volunteers.

"When we provided farmers with cattle, we did not leave it at that. We always advise recipients not to sell their cows even if they multiply."