Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  The Ministry of Agriculture clarified on Sunday (27/10/2024) that it has no plans to import 1.8 million tons of milk from Vietnam for President Prabowo Subianto's Free Nutritious Meal Program. 

Instead, the ministry is encouraging Vietnamese investment in domestic dairy farming to boost local milk production, as reported by antaranews.com.

Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Moch. Arief Cahyono said  that the proposal involves inviting Vietnamese companies to develop dairy farms in Indonesia, particularly in Poso, Central Sulawesi, with a goal to produce up to 1.8 million tons of milk annually. 

The initiative aims to reduce Indonesia's dependency on imported milk, which currently meets around 3.7 million tons of annual demand.

The ministry emphasized that increased domestic production would support job creation and rural welfare, aligning with President Prabowo’s directive for national food independence.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)