Dairy Farming Becomes Key to Solving Child Nutrition Issues in Indonesia

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The development of the livestock industry is one of the government’s main priorities in addressing child nutrition issues. Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sony Sonjaya, conveyed this at the International Strategic Meeting on Scientific Pathways for Sustainable Livestock Industry Transformation on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

According to data from the International Dairy Federation (IDF) 2023, school milk programs worldwide have been proven to provide significant health benefits to more than 160 million children. The dairy farming sector plays the most critical role in supporting these nutritional improvements.

Currently, the majority of dairy farmers in Indonesia are still small- and medium-scale farmers. They face major challenges such as limited access to high-quality breeding stock, quality feed, and modern technology.

At the event organized by the National Research and Innovation Agency in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization, Sony emphasized that strengthening the dairy farming ecosystem is the key to sustainable food security. This aims to ensure the national milk supply remains stable to meet children’s nutritional needs.

“We see that strengthening the livestock ecosystem, particularly the dairy sector, not only boosts national milk production but also creates jobs and improves farmers’ well-being. This is key to ensuring a sustainable supply of nutritious food,” he said.

The government continues to strive to promote efficiency and quality standardization among local farmers to make them more competitive. Access to technology and financing are essential for farmers today.

“The government continues to promote efficiency and quality standardization. However, at the same time, it is crucial to ensure that local farmers receive support—whether in terms of access to technology, financing, or technical assistance. This way, the supply chain can operate more robustly and sustainably,” he added.

Sony explained that the development of the dairy cattle sector does not only impact children’s health. This development also has a broad ripple effect on the local economy and national health.

“Increased demand for high-quality agricultural, livestock, and fishery products leads to job creation throughout the food supply chain while improving farmers’ well-being and is a crucial component of the success of nutrition-sourcing programs,” Sony said.