Mahfud Calls The Prabowo-Gibran Free Milk Program Needs Import

JAKARTA - Candidate for vice president number 3 Mahfud MD assessed that the free milk program voiced by the presidential and vice presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka must need imports of goods in its implementation, although they are optimistic that this can be done without imports.

Mahfud revealed that currently, Indonesia is still importing a lot of products that are actually also produced domestically.

"Yes, it's good (free milk program without imports), but so far we have been small, imported, salt, onions, fruit is also imported," said Mahfud at Grha Oikoumene, Central Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, January 5.

Mahfud said whether or not the free milk program could be carried out would be a challenge for Prabowo-Gibran to convince the public that the program could be carried out without opening the import faucet.

"Please later we will prove that we automatically do not import the milk program, that's because we are determined not to import it," he said.

Previously, on Thursday (4/1), presidential candidate number 2 Prabowo Subianto called his priority program a necessity (necessity) to remove stunting and create a nutritious next generation of both and productive nations.

"This is not a tantalizing matter, this is our matter. This is a matter of necessity. This is a matter of the nation's future," Prabowo said when answering questions from the Central PWI management during a dialogue event at the Press Council Office, Jakarta, Thursday (4/1).

Prabowo continued that Indonesia currently has a fairly low score for academics at the world level, one of which is measured in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) ranking.

"Now check the academic numbers of our children measured by PISA, maybe we are sad. I heard, later please check, in the 1,000 best universities in the world, I don't know whether there is an Indonesian university entering or not," said Prabowo.

PISA is a program created by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which is a study to evaluate education systems in 81 countries around the world.

Per three years since 2000, 15-year-old students from randomly selected schools take reading, mathematics and science tests. Indonesia has participated in the PISA study since the program was first started in 2000.

The latest results of PISA evaluation, Indonesia's score in reading, math, and science tests are still below average, namely 366 for math from an average of 472, 359 for reading from an average of 476, and 383 for science from an average of 485.

Reflecting on these results, Prabowo believes that the quality of Indonesian human resources can increase if there is a nutrition improvement that starts from the time they are in the womb until they go to school.

Therefore, the program to distribute milk and free lunch for students and students as well as nutrition assistance for pregnant women is a priority for the Prabowo-Gibran pair if both are elected in the 2024 presidential election. "This is my belief. It's invisible," said Prabowo.

Then regarding the type of milk distributed, Prabowo conveyed the best type of milk, of course, which was immediately extorted from farmers, not from packaged milk which had a lot of sugar and had preservatives.

Regarding the ability of domestic breeders to meet the needs of the milk, Prabowo admits that it is difficult at this time. However, the difficulties that exist to realize it can be overcome when there is a will.

"Now, I say we have an intention or not? Do we have a political will or not? If we have a will, yes, it's been 1, 2, 3, 4 years we bought the cattle (from abroad, ed.), we develop it in Indonesia," said Prabowo.

He continued from rough calculations, the possibility of Indonesia requiring a minimum of 2.5 million dairy cows.

"So, we may have to import one million or 1.5 million cows in three years. She will give birth we will have three million. That's what our strategy is. It's not instant, but (it can be realized if there is, ed.) Will, there will be, "he said.