Minister of Transportation Ferry Dukung KPBS Pangalengan Produksi Susu UHT dan Masuk Ekosistem MBG

Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono. (Photo: Ministry of Cooperatives)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Cooperatives (Menkop) Ferry Juliantono emphasized that his party would fully support the steps of the South Bandung Livestock Cooperative (KPBS) Pangalengan to enter the Milk Processing Industry (IPS) sector to produce UHT milk, not only pasteurized milk products.

So that the KPBS Pangalengan can expand its role in the ecosystem of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program.

"I hope that the pasteurization technology here can be developed by building a new factory line to produce UHT milk," said Ferry, Monday, December 22.

On the same occasion, the Minister of Home Affairs also witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between KPBS Pangalengan and the Jayabaya 2 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) regarding the procurement of pasteurized milk in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, as well as the signing of a cooperation agreement between KPBS Pangalengan and Kopdes Merah Putih Margamulya about cooperative training.

He assured that UHT and pasteurized milk products from KPBS Pangalengan will be sold at all outlets owned by Kopdes Merah Putih throughout Indonesia.

"For the needs of this UHT industry, I also ensure that the LPDB Cooperative is ready to help if KPBS Pangalengan needs additional financing," said Ferry.

Ferry added that so far the Indonesian dairy processing industry has obtained its raw materials from imported skim milk powder, which is allowed to enter because there are rules. However, currently, the minister's regulations no longer exist.

"If cooperatives are able to build a milk processing industry, they will absorb milk products from our dairy farmers. I assure you that we will ban the import of skim milk powder, because it will kill dairy farmers," said Ferry.

In fact, Ferry continued, we should continue to increase the number of dairy cattle populations that are much needed by farmers.

"We will support the government's program to increase the population of dairy cows and then support its advocacy to prevent the entry of imported skim milk powder," he said.

He also encouraged all dairy farmers' cooperatives to be the same as private companies by being able to produce their own milk powder.

"We don't want to lose out on competition with those who have private companies, so that the impact can be felt directly by the community," said the Minister of Home Affairs.

When associated with the MBG program, Ferry hopes that the existence of SPPG throughout Indonesia will be able to build a supply chain that comes from cooperatives, especially Kopdes Merah Putih.

"Not only milk, but also vegetables will also be supplied by vegetable farmers cooperatives and so on. So, our goal is to build a cooperative ecosystem to supply the needs of SPPG in the MBG program," he said.

The reason is that for the Minister of Cooperatives, the quality and certification of milk are the main foundation for strengthening the dairy cooperative. Where milk is a strategic food product that has a direct impact on public health, especially children.

"Therefore, the fulfillment of food quality and safety standards, as well as certification from upstream to downstream, from production at the level of farmers, processing, to distribution, must be the main concern of cooperatives," said the Minister of Coordinating Human Development and Culture.