The Indonesian Milk Cooperatives Association (GKSI) plans to import 100,000 dairy cows from the United States to boost milk production and support the government’s Free Nutritional Meals (MBG) program. The initiative addresses the suboptimal genetic composition of local dairy cows, which are a crossbreed between native Indonesian cattle and Frisian Holstein. Febryanto, GKSI’s Treasurer, emphasized this during a discussion and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) signing event held on January 6, 2025, in Jakarta. The event involved various stakeholders, including Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Food, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Trade, and the US Embassy, alongside major dairy companies such as Ultrajaya, Nestlé Indonesia, and Frisian Flag Indonesia.

The import plan also seeks to recover from the declining cattle population caused by the 2022 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, which led to the loss of 65,000 cows. “Given the urgent demand for milk to support President Prabowo’s MBG program, this import reflects GKSI’s commitment to fulfilling the nation’s dairy needs,” said Febryanto. Highlighting the importance of milk in child nutrition, National Nutrition Institute expert Prof. Epi Taufiq affirmed its role in optimizing dietary intake. US Embassy Agricultural Counselor Lisa Ahramjian commended GKSI’s efforts, calling it a strategic move to strengthen trade relations between Indonesia and the US while improving Indonesia’s milk production quality and quantity.

Source: https://www.metrotvnews.com/read/KZmCV6g0-indonesia-bakal-impor-100-ribu-sapi-perah-dari-amerika