Jakarta, Nov 18 (Antara) - Indonesia has to increase its fresh milk production to meet its domestic consumption needs, which reach some 7 million liters daily, and to reduce its imports that account for about 80 percent of the needs.
Besides that, it also needs to increase its consumption, as the Indonesian people still consume low amount of milk, accounting for about 12.1 liters per capita per annum.
"Based on the data from the Agriculture Ministry, the per capita milk consumption in 2015 was only 12.1 liters per annum," Legislator Dwita Ria Gunadi said in a written statement in Jakarta last week (Nov 10).
Dwita, of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR) said that the government should increase milk production and consumption, because the per capita milk consumption in the country is still lower than other Asian countries.
As of now, Indonesia produces only about 20 percent of the 7 million liters required daily. According to Cooperatives, Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SME) Minister Puspayoga, Indonesia must not allow this situation to continue.
Puspayoga also stressed that milch cow farmers must increase and maintain the quality of their milk production. All milk produced domestically, including by members of cooperatives, should be absorbed by the milk-processing industry (IPS), in order to meet the domestic needs and reduce imports.
The per capita consumption is still lower than the per capita consumption of India at 48.62 liters per annum, Singapore at 44.5 liters and Malaysia at 36.2 liters. Indonesia's per capita milk consumption is even lower than that of Thailand, which reached 33.7 liters per annum, the Philippines at 17.8 liters and Vietnam at 14.3 liters, let alone its comparison with US and the Netherlands.
Therefore, the government is concerned that the milk imports of Indonesia have exceeded 80 percent. "This condition is a cause for concern, because our land has the potential to develop and breed milch cows," Dwita, who is a member of the Greater Indonesia Movement Party, (Gerinda) said.
Indonesia has to import about 80 percent of milk for its daily needs, while its fresh milk production is still low at about 1.4 million liters per day. Its per capita consumption is also low at about 12 liters a year.
The present rate of Indonesian people's per capita milk consumption has actually increased compared to that several years ago. This was because of the people's awareness of the health benefits of milk.
By 2009, the per capita milk consumption of the people relatively remained low as compared to that of other countries, namely about 10 liters per capita a year. This is far below that of Malaysia, which reached 30 liters per capita per annum.
In 2010, the Indonesian per capita milk consumption only rose slightly to 11 liters a year, while that of Malaysia had risen to 36 liters. Milk consumption includes liquid milk, powdered milk and sweet condensed milk.
Thanks to the awareness created among the people, the country's milk consumption has currently increased, although it is still relatively small, which is 12.1 liters per annum.
Therefore, the government has to continue to make efforts to increase the people's average milk consumption rate by continuing to raise the people's awareness of the benefits of consuming milk.
Milk is rich in calcium, which helps to maintain bone health in children, adults and even the elderly. Indonesia, which has a population of 250 million people, should not just focus on being a market for milk production of other countries.
According to an executive from one of the country's food and drinks company, PT Nestle Indonesia, local milch cow farmers should adopt sustainable breeding practices to increase productivity and improve the quality of milk.
"The key to increasing production and improving quality is to adopt sustainable breeding practices and to optimize cleanliness," R Wisman Djaja, PT Nestle Indonesia's director for Sustainability Agriculture Development and Procurement Affairs, said in Malang, East Java, last month.
According to Puspayoga, the government is now trying to resolve the constraints faced by milch cow farmers and milk processing industries.
One of the country's milch cow breeding and milk produce districts is Malang in East Java. It was earlier noted that fresh milk production of milch cows in Malang increased from 117,235 tons in 2014 to 132,052 tons in 2015, and during the first semester of 2016, it was pegged at 66,593 tons.
"In order to increase production and consumption of milk, we provide assistance to milch cow breeders. This year, 92 milch cows were provided, and next year this assistance will continue, but the number will not be as big as this year," Sudjono, the head of Malang's Animal Husbandry Service, said early this month.
He added that over the past five years, the number of milch cows provided for breeders accounted for 826 heads. The farmers, who got the assistance, were those from milch cow production centers such as Wajak, Pujon, Ngantang, Poncokusumo and Jabung sub-districts.***3*** (A014/INE)EDITED BY INE(T.A014/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 19-11-2016 15:16:2 |
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