The Story Dr. Reza Abdul-Jabbar of Building a Dairy Farming Empire in New Zealand

Amidst the roar of construction and the clamor of modernization, we often overlook the true foundation of a nation: agriculture and food security. Yet, the story of one Indonesian son, Dr. Reza Abdul-Jabbar, proves that the agricultural sector, specifically livestock farming, can be the path to immense success, even in a foreign land. From Pontianak, Indonesia, to New Zealand, Dr. Reza built a dairy farming empire that now produces thousands of liters of milk daily, cementing his name as a proud Indonesian diaspora figure.

Our conversation with Dr. Reza began with a technical discussion on folic acid and sulfuric acid. "Folic acid is a supplement, usually used by mothers planning pregnancy," Dr. Reza explained casually, clarifying the difference between the essential nutrient and sulfuric acid, which is hazardous and only used for cleaning milk tanks. This brief exchange immediately highlighted the depth of his knowledge in animal husbandry.

Setting the Record Straight and Building a Dream

Meeting Dr. Reza was an honor. He is a humble yet insightful man, a simple "Abang Perumrohan" (a colloquial term for a regular guy) who is now unexpectedly known as a giant farmer in New Zealand. Media reports often highlight his achievements, but Dr. Reza felt the need to correct some data. "If we talk about the cattle numbers, Subhanallah (Glory be to God), they vary. The data that says 2,500, or even 20,000, is not correct. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), by the grace of Allah, today we are in the range of 4,500 to 5,000 dairy cows," he revealed. A vast area of approximately 1,000 hectares stands as a silent witness to this extraordinary journey.

The figure of 2,500 cattle often cited by the media is "short." Even with 4,500 to 5,000 cows, Dr. Reza explained that the number is dynamic and constantly fluctuates due to yearly birthing processes. "We don't want any more than that—it's not that we don't want more sustenance from Allah—but if the number increases significantly, the land must also increase. We would have to buy more," he explained. This is not just about capital, but also about the capacity to manage. "Buying is one thing, but we also have to be able to take care of it," he emphasized, underscoring the importance of management alongside his other commitments, including family, religious advocacy (dakwah), and community affairs.

A Father’s Vision and a Child’s Ambition

Dr. Reza's story did not begin with a grand business plan, but with a childhood dream. "I came to New Zealand at the age of 16," he recalled. "I truly had a desire to become a farmer. Since I was 8 years old." This ambition was not self-generated but was nurtured by an exceptional father, a visionary who believed in his son.

"This is closely linked to our late father (rahimahullah). A person who had a vision and, in our language, a father that is very strong in his sense of direction and sense of confidence," he shared. His father instilled the values of tawhid (Oneness of God) and tijarah (commerce/trade) simultaneously. "If we want to trade, self-confidence, certainty, having a sense of direction, never giving up, and always striving are important. Our father gave us that." Dr. Reza stressed, "There is no university like in father." He compared his mother to the 'madrasatul ula' (the primary school) in foundational education, but his father was the figure who shaped leadership and life direction.

When Dr. Reza was eight, his father asked, "Son, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Dr. Reza replied, "I want to be a trader." His father responded wisely, "If you trade, every day is Monday, Son. Everyday is a Monday." This is a crucial philosophy for a true merchant: being prepared for little sleep, few holidays, and less time with family.

His father also offered revolutionary advice: "Don't go to the school that everyone else goes to." He encouraged Dr. Reza to be different, to lead. "Lead the pack... Salmon never swim against the current. Who swims with the current? Trash." A sharp and thought-provoking analogy, teaching the importance of being a pioneer and not getting swept away. His father supported his interest in agriculture and animals, guiding Dr. Reza to study a field he loved, yet one that still possessed economic value. "If we are passionate, when things are difficult, we remain composed, because we love it. But we must also understand that whatever we do, there will be hard days; it can't be good days all the time."

Parental Blessing: The Key to Abundant Sustenance

The decision to invest in and expand a farm often involves complex calculations and significant risk. However, for Dr. Reza, there was an element far more powerful than mere mathematical computation: parental blessing.

"The recipe for trade is this: if our father and mother are pleased with us, happy with us, that's it. That is an absolute greatness," he said. He recounted how every time there was a major decision, such as buying land, he would call his father. "My father would just reply, 'Yes, give me two or three days. Insha'Allah (God willing), I will perform Istikharah [guidance prayer], I will pray briefly with your mother. I will call you back in two or three days, just wait.' Then he would call back, ' Assalamu'alaikum. Wa'alaikumussalam. How is it? Alright. Bismillah (In the name of God), go ahead.' That alone was enough."

Dr. Reza admitted that his parents' blessing could dispel all hesitation and doubt. He gave an example of wanting to purchase an 80-hectare plot, but the owner would only sell the 80 hectares along with an additional 70 hectares that he did not actually need. Doubt arose because the operational and maintenance costs would increase. However, his father said, "It's alright, Son. Insha'Allah, buy both. But we don't know what to do with the rest of it." His father stressed, "The owner needs to sell everything. Should we only think about what we need? What about him? There will be a need for it eventually, Insha'Allah."

Surprisingly, the additional 70 hectares turned out to be an area rich in Manuka honey, one of the best honeys in the world. "People didn't think that land could be used for that. Everyone wanted to turn it into pasture. But how? That costs money, so I was worried, 'Wow, this is an expense, this is money.'" Yet, that very land produced about 20 tons of top-grade Manuka honey. "There is no logic to this. We were worried earlier, thinking we would have to spend money, and the maintenance burden would increase. How can this be explained if we only talk based on pure financials or pure math? Sometimes, mathematics cannot be applied 100%," Dr. Reza concluded, highlighting the power of destiny and divine blessing through one's parents.

Knowledge Before Action: Learning from the Ground Up

The principle of "al-ilmu qoblal qouli wal amal" (knowledge before speech and action) is Dr. Reza’s guide. He did not immediately purchase all the land and cattle at once. "We didn't buy everything at once. One by one. Not just one by one, but starting with one cow, 10 cows, 20 cows."

The journey began from scratch, by working for others. "Work for people first, be an employee, right? That's where you learn. Of course. Something given for free has no value." This process taught him the value of every step, every investment, and every hard work. "We learned slowly. Allah gave us ease, we bought a certain amount, we were allowed to raise its offspring, the offspring had a good price, we worked as an employee, got promoted a little, got promoted a little more, and then we became a manager. We had a little income, and we started saving some."

The core focus of Dr. Reza's business is dairy milk. "Our core is milk, dairy." New Zealand itself is a global giant in the dairy industry. "Only 4% of what New Zealand produces in the form of dairy products is consumed domestically. So, 96% of the dairy production from New Zealand is exported." This makes New Zealand the "largest seller in the world market," although not the "largest producer" like India, which has hundreds of millions of cows but consumes most of it domestically. "We feed the world," Dr. Reza stated proudly.

Farmer Cooperatives: The Unbeatable Business Model

The dairy farming business model in New Zealand is also a key to success. "The difference in New Zealand is that the players are not conglomerates. The players are owner-operators," Dr. Reza explained. "We are not agricultural entrepreneurs; we are farmer-entrepreneurs." This means the farmers are field practitioners who own their own businesses, not just investors. "A farmer-entrepreneur certainly has the ability, they can farm, because they are practitioners."

Even more intriguing is that New Zealand's largest company, Fonterra, is a cooperative. "Fonterra is the largest company in New Zealand by revenue, with over 9,000 shareholders, meaning all of us farmers and ranchers have shares in it." The entire production chain, from tankers and factories to marketing in almost 200 countries, is owned by the farmers. Even the director of Fonterra must be a farmer-rancher. "A concept like this can never be corrupted. No one can throw money around, burn money to IPO, buy us out, and then we're finished—that can't happen. Because we don't sell." Not a single share of Fonterra can be bought by a non-farmer-rancher, ensuring control remains in the hands of the producers.

Land assets also possess an advantage, unlike building investments that depreciate. "Land appreciates. Land can never be depreciated." In New Zealand, farmers do not just have usage rights, but certified ownership. "We buy the certificate of ownership... there is no limit, anyone who wants to buy more can do so." This provides security and encourages long-term investment.

Food Security and Challenges in Indonesia

Looking at the success in New Zealand, the question arises: can Indonesia emulate this model? Dr. Reza did not say no. "Everything is possible," he said, but with a few caveats. "Regulations that are sufficiently favorable to farmers and ranchers... the existence of goodwill from the government to truly support this industry, because this is a very vital industry."

He asserted, "A country cannot truly be called sovereign or independent if it is not sovereign in its food supply." Many developed countries only have a 20-day food stock, while developing countries have even less. This is a crucial lesson, especially amid the threat of a food crisis and the El Niño phenomenon mentioned by the Finance Minister.

Interestingly, Dr. Reza highlighted the irony regarding fertilizer. "Some of the fertilizer in New Zealand comes from Indonesia." Yet, in Indonesia, farmers struggle to obtain fertilizer. Dr. Reza explained that Indonesian soil is highly fertile, with many plants like jackfruit, bananas, and rambutan growing wild, indicating abundant nutrient reserves. "But our mistake is that if we keep harvesting the fruits and don't replace the fertilizer, depletion will occur. We are depleting the soil." Plant roots absorb nutrients, and if they are not replaced, the soil will lose its fertility.

Rejecting Subsidies and Honoring the Farmer

Dr. Reza has a firm stance on subsidies. "I am not someone who agrees with subsidies. Please forgive me, this is an important position." He believes that subsidies actually weaken the farmers. "In the global world, we must be able to compete with other countries. Subsidized countries make farmers, ranchers, or producers weak." Something given for free is sometimes not valued, unlike when it must be purchased at a certain price. "If we have to buy fertilizer, we have to pay a certain amount, of course, we will protect it from rain; we will apply it at the right time."

He also highlighted the "freebie" mentality that can negatively impact quality. Fertilizer, as an essential nutrient, must be quality-controlled and applied at the correct time. Dr. Reza gave an example of a papaya with a consumer selling price of IDR 10,000, but the farmer only receives IDR 3,000 after going through middlemen and retailers. "IDR 3,000 is a very low price. It's concerning. Because for IDR 3,000, it's impossible for a farmer to produce fruit that good. It's impossible."

This is the core issue: how do we honor the farmer? If their income is extremely low, the motivation to invest in quality and good management will decrease. Problems such as neglected storage facilities or poor-quality fertilizer often stem from a system that does not honor the farmers.

Dr. Reza Abdul-Jabbar's story is a call for reflection. It is not just about building a large farm, but about a long-term vision, the importance of parental blessing, hard work based on knowledge, a fair business model, and most importantly, how a nation can achieve food sovereignty by honoring its farmers. From the land of New Zealand, Dr. Reza shows that the dream of an eight-year-old child can become a reality and even an inspiration for a nation.

Source: YouTube Channel: KASISOLUSI : PUNYA LAHAN 1.000 HEKTAR + 5RB SAPI DI NEW ZEALAND, KISAH PETERNAK KAYA ASAL INDONESIA DISANA