JAKARTA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has revised down its target for importing live dairy cattle this year, a project aimed at supporting the government's nationwide free nutritious meal program (MBG), according to Deputy Agriculture Minister Sudaryono, cited by local media on Tuesday.
The government had planned to import 200,000 heads of dairy cattle by the end of 2025. However, the target has now been reduced to 150,000, Sudaryono said.
As of May, the imports had reached only around 9,700 heads, according to the deputy minister. He added that major investors from Vietnam and Brazil still required significant assistance and confidence in the local investment climate.
Currently, the MBG program reaches about 20 million participants, far below the year-end target of 82.9 million. Even so, Sudaryono expressed confidence that the program would ultimately boost domestic demand for fresh milk and beef.
He also noted that the government would continue easing restrictions on live cattle imports until the national herd increases by 1.3 million heads. ■