Review: Risks and benefits of introducing double-muscled Belgian Blue cattle to Indonesia’s tropical climate

GRETANIA RESIDIWATI (Department of Anatomy, Embryology, and Histology, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya. Jl. Puncak Dieng, Malang 65151, East Java, Indonesia)
HABIB S. A. TUSKA (Department of Reproduction, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya. Jl. Puncak Dieng, Malang 65151, East Java, Indonesia)
OLOAN PARLINDUNGAN (Livestock Embryo Centre Cipelang, Ministry of Agriculture Republic of Indonesia. Jl. KH. Halim 9, Bogor 16004, West Java, Indonesia)
SRI W. SISWANTI (Livestock Embryo Centre Cipelang, Ministry of Agriculture Republic of Indonesia. Jl. KH. Halim 9, Bogor 16004, West Java, Indonesia)
BART LEEMANS (Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction, and Population Medicine, Ghent University. Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium)
KAREN GOOSSENS (Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Burgemeester Van Gansberghelaan 92/1, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium)
SITI E. ROCHMI (Department of Health, Faculty of Vocational Studies, Universitas Airlangga. Jl. Darmawangsa Dalam Selatan, Surabaya 60286, East Java, Indonesia)
BUDIONO BUDIONO (Univesitas Gajayana. Jl. Mertojoyo, Malang 65144, East Java, Indonesia)
AGUNG BUDIYANTO (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Univesitas Gajah Mada. Jl. Fauna 2, Sleman 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
BAMBANG PURWANTARA (Department of Clinic, Reproduction and Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Institut Pertanian Bogor. Jl. Agatis Lingkar Kampus IPB Dramaga, Bogor 16680, West Java, Indonesia)
BONICK KARTINI LONAMEO (Department of Biochemistry, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya. Jl. Puncak Dieng, Malang 65151, East Java, Indonesia)
OSVALDO B. PASCOTTINI (School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin. Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland)
GEERT OPSOMER (Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction, and Population Medicine, Ghent University. Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium)
ANN VAN SOOM (Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction, and Population Medicine, Ghent University. Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium)

Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 26 No. 5 (2025)

Abstract. Residiwati G, Tuska HSA, Parlindungan O, Siswanti SW, Leemans B, Goossens K, Rochmi SE, Budiono, Budiyanto A, Purwantara B, Lonameo BK, Pascottini OB, Opsomer G, Van Soom A. 2025. Review: Risks and benefits of introducing double-muscled Belgian Blue cattle to Indonesia’s tropical climate. Biodiversitas 26: 2429-2447. 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.