JAKARTA – The government continues to ensure the smooth implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) by maintaining the availability of high-quality food ingredients, one of which is through the importation of dairy cattle. The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has begun bringing in hundreds of dairy cattle from abroad to support domestic fresh milk production.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan), Sudaryono, revealed that the importation of dairy cattle will take place in stages until the target of 250,000 cattle is achieved. These imports are being carried out by domestic livestock entrepreneurs in regions such as East Java, Central Java, and West Java.
“Imports of dairy cattle for the MBG program have started. Although the number is not significant yet, we have already received hundreds of cattle,” he said.
This measure is taken as a strategy to ensure a sufficient supply of milk for the MBG program’s needs, which aims to improve the nutritional intake of the public, particularly children and vulnerable groups.
“With investment in the livestock sector, it is expected that domestic fresh milk production will increase, reducing dependence on imported products in the long term,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), Taruna Ikrar, emphasized that the quality of food products supporting the MBG program will be strictly monitored.
“In the MBG program, which is one of President Prabowo Subianto’s main programs, there are various schemes to fulfill the nutritional needs, one of which is public and corporate participation,” he explained.
BPOM ensures that companies contributing to the MBG program comply with food safety standards set by the government. Taruna also encouraged companies to participate in the mutual cooperation program to ensure the program’s sustainability.
“I hope this initiative will foster sustainable contributions from the public, so that MBG can become a community movement and continue to be implemented,” added Taruna.
On the other hand, the Executive Director of the Indonesian Meat Processing and Business Association (APPDI), Teguh Boediyana, urged the government to issue regular dairy cattle import permits promptly to anticipate a rise in meat prices. He stated that delays in issuing permits could disrupt domestic meat supplies, especially ahead of Ramadan and Idulfitri.
“We don’t want any shortages during Eid, which could lead to price surges due to market forces,” he said.
For your information, the government has set a regular beef import quota of 180,000 tons for 86 business players, which includes shipments from key supplier countries like Australia and New Zealand. This decision was made during a limited food coordination meeting in December 2024 and was communicated by the National Food Agency (Bapanas) in January 2025.
With these various strategic measures, the government is committed to ensuring the availability of adequate logistics for the continuation of the MBG program and maintaining food price stability domestically. The collaborative efforts between the government, businesses, and the public are expected to support the success of this program in improving the quality of life and welfare of the Indonesian people.
