Animal husbandry students from Indonesia are receiving a hands-on education in Australia’s northern cattle industry.

The group arrived in Darwin last week as guests of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association’s Indonesia Australia Pastoral Industry Student Program.

The students were selected to participate from five universities across Indonesia – Gadjah Madah University (Jogyakarta), Brawijaya University (Malang), Padjadjaran University (Bandung), Mataram University (Mataram, Lombok) and Bogor Agricultural University (Bogor).

After a pilot program in 2012 proved to be an outstanding success, the NTCA has expanded the program from eight to 16 students this year.

The initiative is designed to improve the knowledge and awareness of Indonesian animal husbandry students in the northern Australian pastoral industry, and to establish and expand relationships for mutual Australian and Indonesian industry growth and benefit.

The students are currently spending two weeks in Katherine undertaking intensive pastoral industry training, before heading out to six weeks work experience placements at cattle stations across the NT.

“It is an exciting program that will benefit the students, the pastoral industry and the Territory,” said NTCA’s executive director, Mr Luke Bowen.

“Building on the 2013 program, we expect to improve and grow the program over the coming years.”

Prime Minister Julia Gillard was briefed on the program during a meeting with the NTCA in late April, has provided Federal Government support for the initiative through the Department of Regional Australia and Office of Northern Australia.

The Federal assistance complements investments also made by the NTCA and its members, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Meat and Livestock Australia, and the Northern Territory Government.