RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono has initiated the "Gerakan Revolusi Putih" (White Revolution Movement) to boost national milk consumption and the dairy cattle population.

The movement is expected to strengthen nutritional fulfillment for children while simultaneously driving an increase in domestic milk production.

According to Sudaryono, increasing milk consumption is a vital part of preparing an excellent generation heading toward Indonesia Emas 2045 (Golden Indonesia 2045). For this reason, he urged the public to cultivate the habit of consuming milk from an early age.

"I want to initiate a movement that we call the White Revolution," he said during his keynote address at the commemoration of the National Milk Day 2026 at Ragunan Zoo, South Jakarta, on Saturday morning, June 6, 2026.

"The goal is to increase the dairy cattle population and distribute free milk to school children all across Indonesia," he added.

Sudaryono stated that the current government has successfully increased the production of several strategic food commodities. He said that following rice, corn, sugar, chili, chicken, and eggs, the milk sector has now become one of the focal points that needs reinforcement.

“The government has been working to achieve food self-sufficiency. We no longer import rice, corn, sugar, chili, chicken, or eggs. What remains is to meet our needs for milk and meat,” he said.

He explained that the White Revolution does not only aim to raise public milk consumption, but is also directed at expanding the dairy cattle population so that national milk production can continue to grow.

Sudaryono requested the Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI) to serve as the driving force behind this movement. He even proposed that the organization raise funds to procure dairy cattle and run the free milk distribution program in schools.

"We want concrete actions. Aside from that, I also ask that we pool funds together to source dairy cattle. At this milestone event, I want us to have at least 100 dairy cattle that we can secure in the near future," he said.

According to Sudaryono, boosting milk consumption cannot be achieved solely through campaigns or public appeals. It requires real action that can be directly felt by the community, especially school-aged children.

He assessed that milk plays a critical role in supporting children's physical growth and cognitive development. Therefore, fulfilling protein and nutritional needs must become a shared priority.

During his speech, Sudaryono also shared a personal experience regarding his habit of drinking milk since his teenage years. He admitted to routinely drinking milk while studying at Taruna Nusantara High School.

"I am a product of milk. When I entered high school, my height was 164 centimeters. Within three years, it went up by 14 centimeters to 178 centimeters because I routinely drank milk," he said, greeted by applause from the participants.

Sudaryono emphasized that the milk he was referring to is pure milk, not sweetened condensed milk. He reminded the public to understand the difference between the two so that the nutritional benefits obtained can be maximized.

"Milk and sweetened condensed milk are different. What I mean by milk here is pure milk. Sweetened condensed milk is basically just sugar," he remarked.

He also urged parents to prioritize their children's nutritional needs. According to him, even if parents are not yet able to provide milk every day, they still need to ensure that their children obtain other protein sources, such as eggs.

"The parents may be going through hard times, but their children must eat nutritiously. They must eat eggs and they must drink milk," he asserted.

Previously, Director General of Livestock and Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture, Agung Suganda, stated that domestic fresh milk production is only able to meet about 20 percent of national demand. Currently, Indonesia still imports around 3.7 million tons of fresh milk equivalent, with a value reaching IDR 25 trillion per year.

Agung noted that milk consumption among Indonesian society is also still around 17.76 liters per capita per year. This figure is lower compared to several other countries in the Southeast Asian region.

Meanwhile, the National Milk Day 2026 commemoration at the Ragunan Zoo went vibrantly. Before the main event began, hundreds of participants from various backgrounds had already packed the activity area centered around the Ragunan Multipurpose Building.

Several children were seen participating in a coloring contest with the theme of livestock and milk, which was organized by the committee. The activity served as an educational medium regarding the importance of drinking milk while introducing the world of animal husbandry to children.

One of the chaperones from Al-Kahfi Elementary School in East Jakarta, Macha, admitted to intentionally coming early in the morning to take part in the National Milk Day series of events.

"We were interested in joining this event to educate the children about the importance of drinking milk for nutrition, body growth, and bones. So, the children can learn while playing," she said.

National Milk Day is commemorated every June 1, coinciding with World Milk Day. This year, the commemoration carried the theme "With Milk, Strong Generation, Great Indonesia" (Diva Rifdah)