<![CDATA[The main issue faced by cattle farmers in Kading Village, Tanete Riaja District, Barru Regency is the limited availability of fresh green fodder, especially during the dry season. This shortage leads to reduced weight gain and compromised livestock health. Meanwhile, the area produces a large amount of agricultural waste, including approximately 20,742 tons of rice straw per year, which has the potential to be utilized as animal feed in the form of silage. This condition motivated the community service team from Hasanuddin University to carry out a farmer empowerment program in Kading Village through the innovation of silage production using locally available agricultural residues. The program employed counseling/discussion and practical/demonstration methods, involving active participation from the farmers. The goal was to introduce and train farmers to produce silage feed made from elephant grass and rice straw. The results showed high enthusiasm among participants. This was evidenced by an increase in the average score from the pre-test value of 1.44 (indicating limited knowledge/skills) before the counseling and training to 2.85 (indicating adequate knowledge/skills) after the sessions (post-test). Additionally, the silage produced met good quality standards, demonstrated by ideal physical characteristics and positive acceptance by the cattle without any signs of toxicity. In conclusion, this simple and low-cost silage technology not only provides an effective solution to address feed scarcity during the dry season but also has the potential to improve feed nutritional value, reduce production costs, and ultimately enhance sustainable livestock production in Kading Village.]]>
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