Optimizing sugarcane–beef cattle integration for income, cost and risk with a goal programming model: case study in the Gorontalo sugar factory area, Indonesia

Abstract

Integrated sugarcane–beef cattle farming can improve resource efficiency, income, and risk management compared with monoculture, but its effectiveness in Gorontalo remains uncertain. This study identified optimal production combinations, assessed resource allocation, and tested the sensitivity of resource use to profit, cost, and production risk. All farmers implementing the system in the Gorontalo Sugar Factory area were included, and data were analyzed using goal programming. The profit target was achieved, while cost and risk targets were not, indicating incomplete integration practices. Optimal combinations were 4,345 kg sugarcane, 3 cattle, 795 kg waste, and 371 kg compost in Period I; 5,793 kg, 4 cattle, 1,060 kg waste, and 495 kg compost in Period II; and 7,241 kg, 5 cattle, 1,324 kg waste, and 618 kg compost in Period III. More cattle increased the use of sugarcane waste as feed and compost output, reducing external feed and chemical fertilizer dependence. Most resources remained in surplus, except land, suggesting that livestock numbers, compost production, or farm scale could be expanded without additional inputs. Sensitivity analysis showed that production inputs, labor, and land could be reduced within allowable limits; Period III land could vary from 0.81 to 2.19 ha without changing the optimum. The findings offer a framework for improving efficiency, profitability, and resilience under resource constraints and uncertainty.