The Ministry of Agriculture has refuted reports of a plan to import 1.8 million tons of milk from Vietnam to support President Prabowo Subianto's Free Nutritious Meal Program, instead is inviting foreign investors to develop local dairy industry.

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman cited five international dairy companies from Qatar, Brazil, the United States, and Vietnam have shown interest in investing in Indonesia’s dairy sector.

"There are five companies. One from Qatar and two from Brazil. If I am not mistaken, one each from America and Vietnam as well," Amran told a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, October 28, 2024.

To facilitate this investment, Amran plans to meet with Vietnamese Ambassador on Friday, November 1, 2024, to discuss further collaboration on building a dairy processing industry in Indonesia.

"We have a lot of land, and we give them options," Amran said, while noting that potential sites for the factories include Central Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and Merauke in South Papua.

The agriculture ministry is coordinating with other relevant ministries and institutions to ensure a smooth investment process. Amran stressed the importance of creating a comfortable environment for investors.

"The key is to provide comfort to investors, especially in the agricultural sector. We will oversee their entry," he said.

Moch. Arief Cahyono, Spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture, said on Sunday that the ministry’s policy is not to import dairy products, but to boost local production by attracting foreign investment.

The ministry’s efforts to attract foreign investment align with the government's broader goal of increasing local food production and ensuring a steady supply of nutritious meals across the country.