Dairy Farmers Protest, Dump Milk Harvest Due to Processing Plant Rejections
Dairy farmers have protested by dumping their milk harvests after local milk processing industries (IPS) refused to accept their production. As a result, milk that should have been used by large industries is being discarded, frustrating local farmers.
In Pasuruan, East Java, a video shows milk being dumped into a grassy field, flowing heavily from a large hose. Similar scenes took place in Boyolali, Central Java, where milk collectors and dairy farmers staged protests, including a symbolic “milk bath.”
Deputy Chairman of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Alex Indra Lukman, urged the administration under President Prabowo Subianto to optimize Bulog’s role in addressing this issue.
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“We hope the government or relevant agencies will quickly consolidate around Astacita, a priority program from President Prabowo, which includes food self-sufficiency and free lunch and milk programs,” said Alex on Monday (11/11/2024).
Alex sees this situation as contradictory to Prabowo’s government programs, as he believes the government should oversee milk distribution.
“This situation is somewhat ironic. On the one hand, there’s a move to distribute free milk, yet dairy farmers are dumping their milk,” said the PDI-Perjuangan Party politician.
Furthermore, Alex urged the government to collaborate with local dairy farmers through Bulog, advocating for Bulog to reclaim its logistical functions.
“Bulog is the ideal agency for this, given its nationwide storage facilities. Modernization is necessary, such as providing milk storage capabilities,” Alex added.
“In several meetings, our Commission IV emphasized that Bulog should return to its original logistics role. The ‘U’ in Bulog stands for ‘Urusan’ (affairs), and it wasn’t designed for profit. However, placing it under SOEs shifted it toward profit-making, as ‘U’ became ‘Usaha’ (business),” he said.
