Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia's National Dairy Council (DPN) has urged the government to make dairy farming, particularly smallholder dairy farming, a priority sector under the national food self-sufficiency program.DPN Chairman Teguh Boediyana said National Milk Day has been commemorated annually since 2008 to promote the growth of smallholder dairy farming and increase fresh milk consumption.”However, as we commemorate the 18th National Milk Day, those objectives have yet to be achieved significantly,” he said in a statement on Monday.According to Teguh, domestic fresh milk production currently meets only around 20 percent of national demand, while Indonesia's dairy cattle population remains at around 600,000 head. Smallholder farmers also own only two to four cows on average.”Therefore, DPN proposes that dairy farming, particularly smallholder dairy farming, be prioritized under the food self-sufficiency program,” he said.He called on the government to issue regulations, at least in the form of a presidential instruction, to provide a legal framework for accelerating the development of smallholder dairy farming.Teguh said expanding the sector could create jobs, especially for younger generations, while helping Indonesia achieve milk self-sufficiency.He also stressed the need to ensure that smallholder dairy farmers benefit from the added value generated by the fresh milk they produce.Currently, fresh milk from smallholder farmers is largely used as raw material by the dairy processing industry, while most of the added value and profits from processed dairy products do not flow back to farmers.”There needs to be political will from the government to improve the welfare of dairy farmers,” he said.Teguh further proposed that growing investment in large-scale dairy farming should be regulated to ensure fair partnerships with smallholder farmers.He suggested that at least 20 percent of dairy cattle owned by large-scale operations be allocated through partnership schemes involving smallholder farmers.He also called for stronger downstream development in the smallholder dairy sector so it can contribute more significantly to the government's Free Nutritious Meals program.In addition, DPN proposed subsidies for imported dairy cattle, citing high import prices that have limited farmers' ability to expand herd sizes.