January 8, 2026 | 05:58 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ultra-high temperature (UHT) and evaporated milk are reported to be scarce in the market. A mother in Tangerang, Banten, identified as Putri, complained about the difficulty of finding milk over the past three days.
"It's really hard to find milk. Evaporated milk is also very hard to find. From one market to another, several kilometers of walking to search, still couldn't find any. The sellers said it's out of stock," Putri said when contacted on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Putri seeks milk for her business needs. She runs a milk jelly drink business from her home. She suspects the scarcity in the market is due to supply being diverted to the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. "Looks like it's because of the MBG," she said.
Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Body, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, responded to public complaints regarding the milk scarcity. Nanik explained that milk is the primary product required for the MBG.
"The demand is certainly high," she said after a press conference on "1 Year of the MBG Program and the Inaugural Operation of the MBG Program in 2026" at State Vocational High School 1 Jakarta, Thursday, January 8, 2026.
Nanik ensured that the national supply of milk would be available in the future. She revealed the government is currently strengthening production. "We are in the process of building [milk factories]. The government is currently establishing 500 dairy farms," she said.
Previously, the National Nutrition Body (BGN) launched the Red and White Cows Program under the Ministry of National Development Planning to support the availability of quality milk for the MBG.
BGN Chief Secretary, Sarwono, in an official statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, stated that the availability of quality meat and milk is a pillar to ensure nutritional sufficiency, especially for children benefiting from the MBG.
"The launch of the Red and White Cows is a strategic step to meet the protein needs of society. The availability of quality meat and milk will be the main pillar of the MBG program. We want to ensure that children receive sufficient nutrition to support their growth as well as strengthen national food self-sufficiency," said Sarwono.
According to him, the program is a strategic step in realizing national food self-sufficiency targets, as mandated in Presidential Regulation Number 12 of 2025 concerning the National Medium-Term Development Plan 2025-2029.
Read: BGN Clarifies "Zero Incident" Target for Free Nutritious Meal Program
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