Entrepreneurs Agree Prabowo's Plan To Import Dairy Cows To Meet Milk Needs

Illustration (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Entrepreneurs who are members of the Indonesian Cattle and Buffalo Breeders Association (PPSKI) welcomed Prabowo Subianto's plan to import 1.5 million cows.

This is an effort to increase the population of dairy cows, although beef imports are not an easy thing to do. Moreover, if the needs are very large.

PPSKI Advisory Board member Teguh Boediyana said that to increase domestic fresh cow's milk production, it must increase the current population of dairy cows.

Meanwhile, Teguh continued, increasing the population is not easy. Given, cows need a relatively longer time to breed.

Therefore, Teguh continued, increasing the dairy cattle population with import efforts is something realistic. Although, Teguh acknowledged, even importing is not easy.

"We agree to increase the population by import because it is a realistic choice. It's just not easy to get seeds from this dairy cow. It's not easy, we will need it very big if we want to self-sufficiency," he said when contacted by VOI, in Jakarta, Wednesday, February 28.

Currently, continued Teguh, the dairy cattle population in Indonesia is only around 600,000. Where only 300,000 females can be taken. This amount is only able to meet 20 percent of the national fresh milk needs. Meanwhile, the supply has been absorbed by the dairy processing industry.

Meanwhile, Teguh continued, 80 percent of domestic demand for fresh milk is met through imports. With the free lunch and milk program, it will automatically increase national milk consumption.

Therefore, according to Teguh, inevitably importing cows is a realistic solution to be done in order to boost domestic fresh milk production.

"The way to boost it, yes, we must import one of the seeds for dairy cows. There is no other choice but to increase the productivity of existing dairy cows," he explained.

Previously, Presidential Candidate number 2 Prabowo Subianto planned to import 1.5 million dairy cows to meet the demand for cow's milk in the free milk program.

Prabowo said these cows will become seeds and later the number of cows will increase. That way, the need for milk can be met from domestic production.

"So maybe we have to import one million or 1.5 million cows in 3 years. She will give birth we will have three million. That's roughly our strategy. It's not instant, but (it can be realized if there is a will, there is a will," he said.