Government Ensures Availability of Logistics for MBG Program through Import of Dairy Cattle

JAKARTA – The government continues to ensure the smooth running of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program by maintaining the availability of quality food ingredients, one of which is through importing dairy cattle. The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has begun importing hundreds of dairy cattle from abroad to support domestic fresh milk production.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan), Sudaryono revealed that the arrival of imported dairy cattle will take place in stages until reaching the target of 250 thousand head. This cattle import is carried out by domestic livestock entrepreneurs, such as East Java, Central Java, and West Java.

“Imported dairy cattle for the MBG program have started to arrive. Although the number is not significant. Currently only hundreds have arrived,” he said.

This step was taken as a strategy to ensure sufficient milk supply for the needs of the MBG program, which aims to increase the nutritional intake of the community, especially for children and vulnerable groups.

“With investment in the livestock sector, domestic fresh milk production is expected to increase, so that dependence on imported products can be reduced in the long term,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), Taruna Ikrar emphasized that the quality of food industry production that supports the MBG program will be strictly monitored.

“In the MBG program which is the main program of President Prabowo Subianto, there are various schemes to fulfill these nutrients, one of which is public and company participation,” he explained.

BPOM ensures that companies that contribute to the MBG program comply with the established food safety standards. Taruna also appealed to companies to participate in the mutual cooperation program to ensure the sustainability of MBG.

“I hope that this activity will also foster contributions from the public in a sustainable manner, so that MBG can become a community movement and can continue to be run,” added Taruna.

On the other hand, the Executive Director of the Indonesian Meat Entrepreneurs and Processors Association (APPDI), Teguh Boediyana encouraged the government to immediately issue regular beef import permits to anticipate spikes in meat prices. According to him, delays in issuing permits can hamper domestic meat supplies, especially ahead of the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.

“Don’t let there be turmoil during Eid due to lack of supply, the price will definitely be subject to market law,” he said.

To note, the Government has set a regular beef import quota of 180 thousand tons for 86 business actors, which includes shipments from major supplier countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

This decision was taken in a limited food coordination meeting in December 2024 and has been socialized by the National Food Agency (Bapanas) in January 2025.

With these various strategic steps, the government is committed to ensuring the availability of adequate logistics for the continuity of the MBG program and the stability of domestic food prices. Collaborative efforts between the government, business actors, and the community are expected to support the success of this program in improving the quality of life and welfare of the Indonesian people. {}