Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — In a bid to strengthen domestic milk production, Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture has imported 1,573 dairy cows from Australia. The dairy cows imports marking a strategic move to sustainably increase the productivity of local farmers.
Agung Suganda, Director General of Livestock and Animal Health at the ministry, said the initiative aligns with the government’s broader plan to accelerate the growth of the national dairy herd and boost milk output under the National Milk and Meat Production Acceleration Program (P2SDN).
“The government aims to raise the dairy cow population by one million head by 2029. This is a vital step toward achieving food security and supporting the Free Nutritious Meals Program,” Agung stated, as reported by Antara on Sunday (June 29, 2025).
Agung emphasized that the cow imports are designed to help reduce dependence on imported dairy products. Currently, Indonesia’s domestic fresh milk supply meets only about 21 percent of the nation’s annual demand, which stands at 4.6 million tons.
“We hope these imported cows will help enhance local farmers’ capacity and drive self-sufficiency in milk production,” he added.
Of the total 1,573 imported cows, 485 arrived at Tanjung Wangi Port in Banyuwangi on Friday (June 27), while the remaining 1,088 arrived at Tanjung Tembaga Port in Probolinggo the following day.
The dairy cows imports was facilitated by PT Santosa Agrindo Lestari (Santori), a subsidiary of JAPFA, in collaboration with PT Greenfields Dairy Indonesia, PT Karya Suci Pratama, PT Irfai Berkah Sejahtera, PT Arla Food, and the Suka Makmur Cooperative.
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To ensure the health and safety of the livestock, the Indonesian Agricultural Quarantine Agency conducted thorough risk assessments, physical examinations, and laboratory tests at designated quarantine facilities in East Java.
“The health of these dairy cows has been confirmed,” said Cicik Sri Sukarsih, Director of Animal Quarantine Enforcement at the agency, in a statement on Monday (June 30). “All the animals will undergo a 14-day quarantine at the Probolinggo Animal Quarantine Station.”
(Raidi/Agung)
