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Dairy cows must be cheap, farmers say of Prabowo’s import pledge
The Indonesian Dairy Cooperatives Association (GKSI) wants the government to bear most of the cost of importing cattle.
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A worker uses a tractor to tidy up feed at a farm operated by dairy producer Greenfield Indonesia in Wlingi district, Blitar, East Java, on March 6, 2018. (JP/Wahyoe Boediwardhana)
Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto says Indonesia would need to import some 1.5 million dairy cows to enact his campaign pledge to provide milk and lunches for tens of millions of school-age children, but farmers’ groups say the cattle must be affordable for smallholders for the plan to work.
Dedi Setiadi, chairman of the Indonesian Dairy Cooperatives Association (GKSI), told The Jakarta Post on Friday that a cow in its fourth month of pregnancy could cost some Rp 25 million (US$1,611) and could be twice that price if is imported from Australia.
“Well, if the farmers are charged a high price for the dairy cows, I'm afraid they won't be able to repay their loans. Currently, most farmers are only able to produce 12 to 15 liters of milk,” he said.
Dedi said it would be preferable for the government to bear most of the cost of procuring the cattle.
He also urged the government to prioritize experienced farmers in the proposed program, pointing to past policies that failed after a number of calves died under the care of less experienced smallholders.
The current population of dairy cows only provided about 20 percent of the milk consumed in the country, he said, adding that importing calves could help local producers close the gap.
Read also: Prabowo promises Rp 450t free school lunch program
