In order to achieve milk self-sufficiency, we must have cows, along with the grassland…Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing 1.5 million hectares of grazing land for dairy cattle to support the Free Lunch and Milk Program proposed by the President and Vice President-elect this year.
"We are looking for land of no less than 1.5 million hectares throughout the country," the ministry's expert staff for livestock products downstreaming, Professor Ali Agus, informed on Friday.
According to him, the land area has been calculated based on the feed requirement for 1.5 million dairy cattle imported from various countries.
He said that the ministry is still mapping out the potential land to support the program.
The potential land includes the highlands of Palu city, Central Sulawesi; Berastagi, North Sumatra; and Palembang near Muara Enim, South Sumatra.
"There is almost no land specifically designated for planting grass for cows. All of our land is either forests, gardens, oil palm plantations, or crops," Agus explained.
Therefore, the Agriculture Ministry has also socialized the land preparation to oil palm farmers in Palembang. Those farmers are expected to also raise cattle.
"In order to achieve milk self-sufficiency, we must have cows, along with the grassland. This is what we are after that," he said.
Meanwhile, to prepare 1.5 million dairy cows, the government is exploring import opportunities with New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and Brazil, Agus informed.
The Ministry of Agriculture will also collaborate with the private sector and investors from various countries while mapping the livestock land needed.
His party has met with Middle Eastern, Chinese, and Vietnamese investors in this regard.
Local dairy farmers will also be involved in the financing model that is being prepared.
"We will prepare credit facilities for farmers, along with the insurance and the subsidized interest as well," he said.
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Translator: Luqman Hakim, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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