Antara News·Indonesia·Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 11:20 AM UTC

Indonesia weighs 100,000 cattle imports for milk self-sufficiency

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A. Ananda, Tegar Nurfitra

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is considering importing around 100,000 head of cattle in 2027 to support its milk self-sufficiency agenda, Deputy Agriculture Minister M. Saleh Mustafa said.

"While the import remains a concept at the Agriculture Ministry, it is also derived from the president's directive," he said after attending a national youth conference in Jakarta on Saturday.

Mustafa explained that the proposed imports form part of a broader effort to strengthen the country's long-term milk production capacity by acquiring one million head of cattle.

"The broader target is one million head," he said.

However, he did not clarify whether the target refers to cumulative imports or the total cattle population the government aims to achieve by 2029.

He added that the government is considering Australia, Brazil, and Mexico as potential trade partners for the import plan.

Furthermore, he highlighted capacity-building efforts for domestic dairy farmers, including those in Magelang District, Central Java.

"We have begun providing them [Magelang farmers] with guidance to prepare for incoming cattle," Mustafa said.

The deputy minister was referring to his visit to Sumberejo Village in Magelang on Friday (Oct. 30), where he reviewed efforts to develop the local dairy industry.

In September 2026, the Agriculture Ministry announced a target of adding at least 600,000 dairy cows by 2029 to increase domestic milk production and reduce reliance on imported dairy products.

Agung Suganda, the ministry's director general of livestock and animal health, has said that domestic milk production currently meets only about 20 percent of national demand.

To address the gap, the government is preparing financing schemes to help farmers make down payments on cattle purchases, obtain livestock insurance, upgrade cattle sheds and milking equipment, and access bank financing.

The ministry has also formulated a road map outlining measures to strengthen the national dairy industry through 2030, aiming to increase milk production to 4.68 million tons against projected demand of 5.07 million tons.

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