Indonesia Boosts Dairy Production with New Cattle Imports

The Ministry of Agriculture has informed that 1,250 dairy cattle imported from Australia have arrived at Tanjungwangi Port, Banyuwangi, East Java. As many as 1,250 pregnant Frisian Holstein (FH) dairy cattle with a gestation age of 3-5 months arrived at Tanjungwangi Port, Banyuwangi," the ministry's director general of animal husbandry and animal health, Agung Suganda, informed in a statement issued on Tuesday. According to Suganda, the dairy cattle were imported as part of the government's efforts to encourage investment in strengthening the national dairy cattle population to increase fresh milk production. This step was included in the government's long-term strategy to increase food security with the help of dairy products, he added. The addition of dairy cows is a concrete step to increase national milk production and support the nutritious food program for the community," he informed. He said that the increase in the population of quality dairy cows is expected to boost domestic fresh milk production and cut dependence on imported dairy products. This is also in line with the national dairy cow development road map, which involves partnerships between the government and the private sector, he added.

Two private dairy farming companies were involved in the imports: PT Bumi Rojokoyo Banyuwangi, which brought in 550 cows, bringing the total cows to 2,500; and PT Bumi Ki Ronggo Joyo Bondowoso, which added 700 cows, taking the total to 3 thousand. According to Suganda, the increase in the dairy cow population is expected to strengthen the supply of fresh milk for the milk processing industry (IPS) and support the sustainability of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program initiated by the government. Meanwhile, the ministry's director of animal health, Imron Suandy, assured that each imported dairy cow passed strict quarantine and health checks before and after arriving in Indonesia. The import of dairy cows will continue in June 2025 with 1,250 cows arriving, he informed. The Ministry of Agriculture is committed to strengthening the livestock and animal health sub-sectors to achieve milk self-sufficiency, improve farmers' welfare, and ensure the availability of quality and fresh milk for the people.