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| The portrait of Ahmad Rizki Mubarok, the Accounting Department alumnus of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM). (Photo: Istimewa) |
As Eid al-Adha is just around the corner, livestock sales for sacrificial animals have also increased. Usually, livestock entrepreneurs are parents, but this does not apply to Ahmad Rizki Mubarok, the Accounting Department alumnus of the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM). Rizki, who earned hundreds of millions in profits, shared his experience and gave tips on how to run a Qurbani animal business in UMM Talks held on June 24.
The man known as Barok said that trading is not strange for him. Since he was in school, Barok has tried to trade, like selling herbs and bringing them to school, until he can develop his livestock business. It all started when he visited a neighbor's house and occasionally helped them with animal care. Then, his interest grew more substantial, and Barok decided to begin his business.
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"Coming from my savings and my family's assistance, my initial business capital was 30 goats in 2013. Unfortunately, only two goats were successfully sold. After I learned from it, it turned out that the sales strategy was not optimal. Finally, I discussed with many friends and colleagues on how to market sacrificial animals effectively. I finally marketed them to lecturers, mosques, and prayer rooms that needed sacrificial animals," he explained.
Ten years is a testament to his strong determination to begin a business. Barok also learned the basics of how to care for farm animals. He said that maintaining animal health is similar to humans: providing healthy food and proper cages.
"If the pens are not clean, goats and sheep will become bloated and suffer from scabies. This will reduce the selling price or even make them unsaleable. That's why I built the cage like a house on stilts, so that the goats and sheep's feces can automatically fall down," Barok said.
Nevertheless, he noted that looking after livestock takes work. There is a lot to think about; for example, the selection of livestock seeds is about 80% and 16% for animal feed, while the rest is for other costs such as medication, cages, and cleanliness of animals and their environment," he said.
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Regarding marketing strategies, he emphasized utilizing moments, for example, by intensifying promotions near Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr and even with aqeeqah agendas. Barok admitted that preparing worthy animals for slaughter takes about 3-4 months. Some aspects that need to be considered are animals' fat, health, pregnancy, age (for goats), and fur thickness. He said the livestock he offers weighs 13-28 kilos for ready sale.
In addition, many friendship connections also help the livestock business grow. "Having broad networking make us easier to share information, especially about consumers' needs. So far, I feel quite comfortable. Moreover, the animals we market are used for sacrifice and other good things, so the blessings are felt. Currently, my friends and I also open slaughtering services in a number of mosques," Barok concluded. (imh/ri/wil)
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