Indonesian Milk Production Critical

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The National Dairy Council said president-elect Jokowi’s food sovereignty program will face obstacles because the fresh milk domestic production is critical. “Domestic fresh milk production is in red light,” said National Dairy Council chief Teguh Boediyana on Wednesday. 

According to Teguh, domestic fresh milk production is only around 1,600 tons per day or around Rp7.2 billion. The total production of Rp2.6 trillion per year comes from around 100,000 dairy farmers. 

The figure is not proportionate with milk imports for either needs of industrial raw materials or as processed products. Based on Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data in 2013, imported milk reached US$1,318 billion or around Rp15.7 trillion, or only around 16.5 percent of the import value. “There are indications of impairment in the last 10 years,” he said. 

Teguh continued that imported milk had been coming from New Zealand and it had covers 24 percent of the national needs. He added milk is also imported from the United States (21 percent), Australia (13 percent), France (10 percent) and the Netherlands (8 percent). 

The figure in dairy cattle population is also alarming. BPS agricultural census in 2013 showed female dairy cattle population was only 350,000, comprising calves and lactating cattle. This figure plunged from the 2011 census when female cattle population was around 420,000. 

Meanwhile, Indonesian Milk Cooperative Association said the figure of lactaing cattle is only around 200,000. 

AYU PRIMA SANDI