JAKARTA – The government, through the Ministry of National Development Planning (PPN)/Bappenas, officially launched the Red-and-White Cattle Program at the 2025 Flora & Fauna (FLONA) Exhibition in Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta. The program is projected to become a key pillar of national food self-sufficiency while strengthening the supply of animal protein to support the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program.
Secretary General of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sarwono, emphasized that the availability of quality meat and milk is a crucial pillar in improving public nutrition. According to him, the Red-and-White Cattle initiative was designed to meet this need.
“Meeting the protein needs of children receiving MBG will determine the quality of their growth and development, while also reinforcing the foundation of national food self-sufficiency,” he stated.
Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas, Rachmat Pambudy, described this initiative as a major breakthrough in Indonesia’s food development history.
“Eighty years after independence, 120 identical twin calves were born, with 80 selected as Red-and-White Cattle. This biogenetic innovation forms the basis of the ‘white revolution’ declared by the President to strengthen the local dairy cattle industry,” he explained.
President Director of Moosa Genetika, Deddy Kurniawan, stressed that the gene-editing method used enables the creation of a uniquely Indonesian dairy breed, resistant to tropical climates while maintaining high productivity.
“To date, there are already 80 Red-and-White Cattle ready for further development,” he noted.
The Red-and-White Cattle Program is a collaboration between Bappenas, PT Moosa Genetika Farmindo, and Bogor Agricultural University (IPB). Research based on local cattle breeds has been developed through modern molecular reproduction biotechnology with the goal of increasing both milk and meat productivity.
Bappenas data shows that national milk demand in 2023 reached 4.53 million tons, while domestic production only amounted to 0.84 million tons, or 18.54%. The shortfall has so far been met by importing around 3.7 million tons. Therefore, the Red-and-White Cattle innovation is projected to become a crucial momentum to reduce import dependency while enhancing the agricultural sector’s contribution to national economic growth.
The launch event was attended by a number of high-ranking officials, including the Minister of Health, the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming, the Rector of IPB University, as well as governors from various regions. Their presence signaled the government’s and stakeholders’ strong commitment to making the Red-and-White Cattle a symbol of food independence and job creation in the agribusiness sector.
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