Jakarta (VNA) - A total of 1,250 dairy cattle imported from Australia have arrived in Indonesia, as part of the Government's broader efforts to attract investment in expanding the national dairy herd and increasing domestic milk production.
The Frisian Holstein (FH) dairy cattle with a gestation age of 3–5 months arrived at Tanjungwangi Port, Banyuwangi, said the director general of the Ministry of Agriculture’s animal husbandry and animal health, Agung Suganda, as reported by Indonesia’s national news agency Antara.
This step was included in the government's long-term strategy to increase food security with the help of dairy products, he added.
The official 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.
According to Suganda, the increase in the dairy cow population is expected to strengthen the supply of fresh milk for the milk processing industry and support the sustainability of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Programme initiated by the government.
The second batch of dairy cattle imports is set to take place this June, bringing in 1,250 cows. Previously, the country imported approximately 3,000 dairy cows from Australia.
In the future, Indonesia is expected to expand its dairy imports to include cattle from Brazil, Vietnam, Denmark, and the Netherlands to meet its growing milk demand./.
Indonesia focuses on school nutrition
The programme benefits over 2 million students from various educational levels, and supports over 27,000 individuals, including Islamic boarding school students, special school students, toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
