Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture is promoting increased investment and adoption of technological innovations to sustainably enhance the competitiveness of Indonesia's national livestock sector.

In a statement here on Thursday, Director of Livestock Product Downstreaming at the Directorate General, Makmun, stated that the main current challenge lies in meeting the domestic demand for beef and milk.

He pointed out that Indonesia still imports around 400 thousand tons of beef annually, and domestic milk production only covers 21 percent of the total national demand of 4.7 million tons.

"This presents a great opportunity for industry players to invest in this sector," he stated at the Indo Livestock 2025 Expo and Forum in Surabaya, East Java, on Wednesday.

Makmun highlighted that Indonesia's livestock sector has shown positive growth, as demonstrated by increased export volumes in 2024.

"Livestock product exports rose from 470 thousand tons in 2023 to 489.7 thousand tons in 2024, an increase of 4.16 percent. It indicates that Indonesia is not lacking in animal protein sources," he remarked.

The Indo Livestock 2025 Expo and Forum is being held on July 2-4 in Surabaya, East Java.

The event is expected to draw 300 participants from 15 countries, featuring pavilions from China, South Korea, Taiwan, and several European countries.

It showcases a range of technological innovations and partnership opportunities across the livestock, animal feed, animal health, milk processing, fisheries, and agriculture sectors.

Earlier, as part of efforts to secure beef and milk supplies while strengthening national food security, the Indonesian government removed import quotas on all types of live cattle, including beef, feeder, and dairy cattle.

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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
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