From March 13 to 18, 2025, Secretary Randy Romanski led a successful trade mission to Indonesia in collaboration with the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Indonesia. This mission followed the Indonesian dairy delegation's visit to Wisconsin's World Dairy Expo last October, organized by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), where they saw Wisconsin's dairy excellence first hand.
The mission focused on expanding opportunities for Wisconsin's dairy, feed, livestock, and genetics products in Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy. With a population of 270 million and a growing emphasis on strengthening its school milk program under President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia represents an important market for Wisconsin agricultural exports.
Secretary Romanski and the delegation engaged with key agencies, including Indonesia's Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Trade of Indonesia to discuss market access, regulations, and collaboration opportunities. They also met with major food processors such as Mayora, which imports substantial quantities of Wisconsin and U.S. dairy, and visited Global Dairi Alami, a leading Indonesian dairy company.
A key highlight of the mission was a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, where the delegation discussed the strategic importance of strengthening dairy trade between Wisconsin and Indonesia, as well as broader opportunities for agricultural collaboration.
Part of the delegation also visited IPB University in Bogor near Jakarta, where dairy science professors Dr. Guilherme Rosa from University of Wisconsin-Madison and Professor Sylvia Kehoe from University of Wisconsin-River Falls led discussions with faculty and students on trend and developments in dairy science, further strengthening academic ties. Additionally, Professor Kehoe, USDEC's Jonathan Gardner, and Jennifer Lu from IABC visited dairy cooperatives in Java and led workshops as part of the U.S.Indonesia Dairy Partnership (USIDP) program.
The delegation also conducted retail visits to Grand Lucky and Ranch Market, two of Indonesia's premier supermarket chains that carry a range of imported dairy products. These visits provided firsthand insights into consumer trends, product placement, and potential growth opportunities for Wisconsin dairy in Indonesia's retail sector.
This trade mission laid the foundation for lasting partnerships and reinforced Wisconsin's role in Indonesia's growing dairy sector. With strong government and industry collaboration, it created new pathways for market growth and expanded opportunities for Wisconsin agricultural exports to Indonesia.