Ministry Of Agriculture: Cattle Milk Resulting Areas Are An Important Part Of The Free Nutrition Food Program

JAKARTA - Director General of Animal Husbandry and Animal Health of the Ministry of Agriculture Agung Suganda said that cow milk-producing areas are an important part of the success of the free nutritious food program which will be run in early 2025.

"Currently, milk is a nutritious food menu, but this also sees the condition of domestic supply. Several times it was said that the area where cow milk production is indeed an important part," Agung said while reviewing the Milk Collection Center (MCC) in Pujon District, Malang Regency, East Java, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, December 10.

One area he said was able to support the success of the free nutritious eating program was Malang Regency, because it has a cow's milk cooperative with results reaching hundreds of tons per day.

"Hopefully the SAE Pujon Cooperative, which can produce pasteurization milk, will be able to provide services for a nutritious eating program," he said.

Based on data from the Malang Regency Government, the total cow's milk production in the local area reaches 143,000 tons per year. Then, the dairy cattle population has 90 thousand and 22 thousand of them are in the Pujon area.

The local government is now waiting for technical instructions regarding the implementation of the program.

Looking at the existing data, he is also optimistic that in Malang Regency free nutritious food packages will also include cow milk in it.

"The free nutritious food packages from around the raw materials are of course affordable, at the existing price, the package menu will contain nutrition. If in Malang Regency, one of them is milk, it can be a menu," he said.

Agung hopes that industry players will also provide maximum support for the smooth running of the program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto, namely by intensifying collaboration with cow milk cooperatives in each region.

"The government hopes that the industry will provide unit assistance. This will make the quality of milk good and accepted by the community. Hopefully this will continue so that there will be no more issues of national milk production that are not absorbed," he said.