Indonesia targets milk and beef self-sufficiency through integrated farming

Indonesian officials are pushing for national milk and beef self-sufficiency to reduce chronic dependence on imports. Titiek Soeharto, Chair of Commission IV of the DPR RI, noted that domestic milk production currently meets only about 20 percent of national demand. While imports remain necessary to meet nutritional needs for children, she emphasized the need to limit them to protect local farmers.

To boost production, the National Food Agency highlighted the potential of the Grati dairy cow, a local crossbreed capable of producing up to 30 liters of milk per day due to its high adaptability.

Additionally, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman is promoting integrated livestock farming clusters. This strategy involves consolidating the supply chain from upstream to downstream, including palm oil-cattle integration schemes and independent feed mills. These integrated zones aim to create a circular economy by combining livestock breeding, high-nutrition forage production, and waste processing into organic fertilizer and biogas, thereby reducing operational costs and increasing efficiency.