Pamekasan's efforts to support beef self-sufficiency with Madura cattle
Besides being famous for its karapan sapi (bull racing) tradition, Madura Island in East Java is also known as a cattle-producing region in Indonesia. Several areas there serve as centres for local cattle farming, one of which is Pamekasan.
In this regency, the local government continues to strive to increase the population and maintain the quality of Madura cattle. One of the efforts is through the Sang Sultan programme (Simultaneous Strategy for the Development of Madura Breeding Cattle) and the Papa Baru programme (Pakong, Pasean, Batumarmar, and Waru), which is being developed in those four sub-districts.
These two cattle development programmes have become increasingly relevant after Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto set a target for the country to achieve beef self-sufficiency within the next five to six years. The target was conveyed by President Prabowo in his speech at the 2026 Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) at the Parliamentary Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on 14 August.
The target of beef self-sufficiency has actually been declared since 2014. However, to date, Indonesia has still not been able to meet its beef needs from domestic production.
Beef is not yet included in the list of strategic food commodities that have achieved self-sufficiency over the past year, namely rice, maize, consumption sugar, chicken meat, chicken eggs, shallots, large chillies, and bird’s eye chillies. Besides beef, the government still faces similar problems with buffalo meat and garlic.
The Ministry of Agriculture, for example, has prepared an acceleration programme by bringing in productive female cattle from abroad starting in the 2027 fiscal year. The addition of productive female cattle is expected to increase the population and add to the meat supply.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded that Indonesia’s beef production reached 499,150 tonnes in 2025. However, based on projections of beef and buffalo meat production and consumption for the 2024–2029 period, Indonesia will still experience a deficit.
In 2025, beef production is estimated to reach 473,900 tonnes and buffalo meat around 17,800 tonnes. Total supply is around 491,700 tonnes, while consumption needs are estimated to reach 724,200 tonnes. Thus, there is a deficit of around 232,500 tonnes.