Han Revanda, Jakarta – The deputy minister of agriculture, Sudaryono, confirms that Indonesia will import 2 million dairy and beef cattle for the next five years to support the free nutritious meal program.
"We want entrepreneurs to farm live cattle here to meet the national requirements, especially for the free nutritious meal program," Sudaryono said in a written statement on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
The Indonesian government aims to bring in 200,000 dairy cattle and 200,000 beef cattle, with the number expected to reach 2 million within five years.
The state will not directly import the cattle, but instead request cattle businesses to bring in cows from abroad, which will be distributed to dairy farmers across the country.
The Gerindra politician said the livestock sector in Indonesia holds a vital role to ensure the availability of nutritious food in the form of meat and dairy. Almost all components of free nutritious meals, he said, are the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, such as chilies, onions, vegetables, poultry, eggs, meat, and milk.
But Sudaryono admitted that the national demand for beef and dairy is still lacking, hence the government opening investment opportunities in the cattle farming sector.
Data from the Ministry of Agriculture shows that the national consumption of cow's milk – without taking into account the free nutritious meal program this year – reached 4.7 million tons, with over 79 percent, or 3.7 million tons, imported.
When the free nutritious meal program runs, the government estimates an additional 3.6 million tons of milk demand by 2029. Meanwhile, there will be an additional demand of around 50 thousand tons of beef in 2029.
In order to reduce dependence on imported products, the government is trying to increase the population of dairy and beef cattle by importing 1 million each for five years from 2025 to 2029.