Jakarta, June 1 -- 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 farm...