{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1818960,
        "msgid": "analyst-assesses-siska-programme-could-cut-beef-imports-by-a-third-1782208757",
        "date": "2026-06-23 16:12:47",
        "title": "Analyst assesses SISKA programme could cut beef imports by a third",
        "author": "",
        "source": "ANTARA_ID",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Agriculture",
        "summary": "A CORE Indonesia researcher estimates the government's palm oil-cattle integration scheme (SISKA) could reduce beef imports by roughly one-third if implemented gradually. The programme could potentially add up to 2 million head of cattle by utilising half of Indonesia's oil palm land, though experts stress the need for pilot projects and institutional reform. Officials note domestic milk production currently meets only 20 per cent of national demand, and the integration could lower feed costs by up to 40 per cent.",
        "content": "<p>Researcher Eliza Mardian from the Center of Reform on Economics\n(CORE) Indonesia has assessed that the government\u2019s Sistem Integrasi\nSapi dan Kelapa Sawit (SISKA) programme could potentially reduce beef\nimports by around one-third, provided it is implemented in stages and\nsupported by institutional reform. She said utilising a portion of oil\npalm land for integrated cattle production could add up to 2 million\nhead to the national herd in the long term. \u201cWith the gradual addition\nof 1 million to 2 million head, this could reduce our imports by at\nleast a third,\u201d Eliza stated in Jakarta on Tuesday. She noted that\nnearly 40 per cent of national beef demand is currently met through\nimports, making SISKA development a potential instrument to strengthen\ndomestic beef supply. Using a conservative ratio of one cow per 13\nhectares, she explained that utilising half of Indonesia\u2019s oil palm land\ncould accommodate up to around 2 million head of cattle. However, she\nemphasised that such development cannot be done instantly and should\nbegin through pilot or measured projects before wider application. \u201cIt\nis better to pilot first; there is no need to set a target of 2 million\nhead immediately,\u201d she said. Eliza considers SISKA more appropriately\npositioned as a complementary strategy to diversify protein sources,\nrather than a standalone solution for achieving protein\nself-sufficiency. She noted that national animal protein consumption is\nstill dominated by chicken and fish, while beef is relatively more\nexpensive and a premium commodity with high income elasticity. Thus,\ndeveloping the cattle-palm oil integration could help reduce import\ndependency, save foreign exchange, and strengthen the circular economy\nin plantation regions. She said SISKA\u2019s potential lies in reducing beef\nand dairy imports over the coming decade and bolstering rural economies\nin oil palm areas, provided it is supported by proper governance. The\nbiggest challenge, she continued, is building trust and aligning\nincentives among plantation companies, farmers, the government, and\nother involved business actors. \u201cSuccess depends on institutional\nreform. The greatest challenge is building trust and incentive alignment\namong actors,\u201d she revealed. She assessed that the government needs to\nact as a facilitator, not just a regulator, through large-scale pilot\nprojects with strict monitoring, fiscal incentives for companies\nimplementing integration, and special programmes for small-scale farmers\nand breeders. \u201cWithout these, the SISKA programme risks becoming a\nnarrative without broad implementation, and it is complementary to other\nstrategies such as national breeding development and strategic import\nmanagement,\u201d Eliza remarked. Similarly, Galau Muhammad, a researcher at\nthe Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), also assessed that\nSISKA could serve as an initial step to increase domestic cattle\nproductivity. However, he cautioned that the larger goal of animal\nprotein self-sufficiency requires more systemic strategies, including\nimproved breeding stock, capital incentives for small-scale farmers, and\nlogistics investment development. \u201cSISKA as one supporting instrument to\nincrease domestic supply may be one thing, but the issue of animal\nprotein self-sufficiency is another matter,\u201d Galau said. He noted that\nmost cattle farmers in Indonesia are currently small-scale, so the\nintegration programme must ensure small farmers\u2019 access to land,\nfinancing, and supply chains. He added that incentives for large-scale\noil palm plantation companies must also be designed to align with the\ninterests of smallholder livestock development. He further assessed that\nimproving the welfare of small-scale farmers must be a focus so that the\nprogramme\u2019s benefits can be felt more widely. \u201cThere are many systemic\nproblems that remain unanswered regarding how to improve farmer welfare,\nespecially for small-scale farmers,\u201d he said. Meanwhile, the\nCoordinating Ministry for Food is promoting SISKA development as one\nstrategy to increase national animal protein production while reducing\ndependence on imported beef and dairy. Widiastuti, Deputy for Food and\nAgriculture Business at the Coordinating Ministry for Food, said\ndomestic milk production currently meets only about 20 per cent of\nnational demand, prompting the government to encourage the use of local\nresources to strengthen animal protein supply. The government also\nassesses that the cattle-palm oil integration can improve livestock\nbusiness efficiency because the use of palm kernel meal, fronds, leaves,\nand grass in plantation areas can reduce feed costs by up to 40 per\ncent. The Coordinating Ministry for Food records that Indonesia has\napproximately 16.38 million hectares of oil palm plantations. If half\nwere utilised for the integration programme, the potential additional\ncattle population could reach 2.73 million head, for both fattening and\nbreeding. This increase in the domestic cattle population is expected to\nreduce dependence on beef imports, which are projected to reach around\n297,000 tonnes in 2026.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/analyst-assesses-siska-programme-could-cut-beef-imports-by-a-third-1782208757",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}