Nearly 80 years ago, the national school lunch program began in the United States. Indonesia is attempting to establish its free lunch program for an estimated 80 million schoolchildren, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, working with New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service, is collaborating to help the fourth-most populated country achieve that feat.
As members of the U.S. Indonesia Dairy Partnership, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, NMSU and Indonesian industry and academic partners are working on a dairy farmer training project to educate small and medium-scale Indonesian dairy farmers on various best practices for growing milk production and improving quality. USIDP officially launched in November 2024.
In early January, the first series of dairy farming technical training courses were delivered via both in-person and virtual instruction, followed by a training throughout West-Java to include agricultural officials, academia, cooperatives, and aspiring farmers poised to change the agricultural landscape.
PHOTO: Registered Holstein cows on a dairy farm. (Adobe Stock │ #366848799 – Bob)
