Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono is targeting investments to bring 100,000 to 150,000 dairy cows to Indonesia by 2025. These investments are intended to reduce dependence on milk imports and strengthen food self-sufficiency. Sudaryono has stated that Indonesia currently experiences a shortage of female cows for breeding purposes. The dairy cows will be imported to Indonesia, where they will be raised and partnered with farmers. The arrival of these dairy cows is expected to lead to a gradual decrease in the country's reliance on milk imports. At present, 80% of the milk required for the Indonesia Free Nutritious Meals Programme is still being imported. According to Sudaryono, this initiative is not intended to completely eliminate imports, but rather to gradually reduce them over time, thereby achieving a consistent annual decrease in the volume of imports.
Approximately 20,000 dairy cows have been received by Indonesia to date. One of the investors involved is the Dutch dairy corporation, FrieslandCampina. However, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture has not yet revealed the amount of additional cows that the company is planning to bring in. The Netherlands has signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia to support live cattle imports, and according to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, many investors have already committed to bringing in live cattle to increase the live cattle population in Indonesia. It is hoped that the Netherlands will make a significant contribution to this investment.
