Coordinating Minister For Food Calls Ministry Of Agriculture Involved In Milk Imports

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulhas (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia will involve the Ministry of Agriculture regarding the import of dairy cow milk to Indonesia.

"Susu boleh impor kalau dia (importir) juga beli kasus dari lokal, karena impor kasus yang dilakukan melalui Menteri Perdagangan harus ada rekomendasi dari Menteri Agricultural," kata Menko Bidang Pangan RI Zulkifli Hasan mengutip Antara.

Thus, he said, importers could bring in milk from other countries if the Minister of Agriculture allowed it.

"So now we will start adding the Minister of Agriculture regarding the approval of imported milk if the imported ones are proven to have purchased milk from the local government," he said.

Therefore, he requested that factories or importers who bring imported milk without wanting to buy local milk be reported to the relevant ministries.

"Immediately, if there is milk from the locals, there are no factories or importers who want to buy, please report it, don't take a shower first, report it first. Report it first, if you don't do it, then take a shower of milk," he joked about the milk bath by farmers and milk collectors in Boyolali some time ago.

The action was carried out as a form of protest because the dairy processing industry was reluctant to buy all local dairy products for farmers. As a result, many milk are wasted every day because it is not absorbed by the industry.

Meanwhile, Acting Governor of Central Java Nana Sudjana said the dairy processing industry must be willing to take milk from local breeders.

"They are also expected to be the coach of the breeders and we will continue to oversee this process. We hope that as soon as possible we will follow up on the marketing issue," he said.

He ensured that he would continue to oversee the local milk polemic. In addition, his party is also trying to improve the quality of livestock and the quality of cow's milk in Central Java, including in Boyolali Regency.