January 8, 2013

Indonesian meat traders protest against beef price hikes

The Indonesian Meat Traders Association (APDI) members in the Greater Jakarta area selling meat threatened to strike again for three or four days starting from January 14 or 15, 2013.

In addition to the strike, the traders of meat ready to hold a demonstration to the State Palace. Issues and demands that carried the butcher is still the same: the government had failed to control beef price hikes. APDI noted, the price of beef at the current level trades at an average of IDR95,000 (US$10) per kilogramme. The carcass meat price ranges from IDR68,000 (US$7) per kilogramme to IDR70,000 (US$7) per kilogramme depending on quality.

Current beef prices have remained unchanged, since the traders staged the first strike in mid-November 2012. At that time, merchants closed their stall four days because beef prices jumped above IDR90,000 (US$9) per kilogramme.

Chairman of APDI, Asnawi, assess the current increase in the price of beef is no longer reasonable. Compared to the price of meat in Malaysia, Indonesia beef prices are much more expensive. In the neighbouring country, the price of beef is only IDR55,000 (US$6) per kilogramme and beef carcass IDR25,000 (US$3) per kilogramme.

At the moment the traders getting a strike, the government claims the beef supply for Jakarta and its surroundings safe during January.

Edwardi, Chairman of the Forum Head of Livestock Across Indonesia, said all heads of animal husbandry department in the central production of beef cattle supply agreement for Jakarta and its surrounding areas.

During January 2013, the need of beef in Jakarta and surrounding areas reached 11,381 tonnes. The supply is weighing 16,118 tonnes. So there is still a surplus of 4,737 tonnes.

Sarman Simanjorang, chairman of the Beef Jakarta, adding, plans strike by meat traders are reasonable. According to him, there has been a shrinking supply of cattle to supply Jabodetak. Although not elaborate, Sarman said Senen market needs eight tails up to 10 birds per day, "Now the supply is only five to six tails per day, he said.

Director General of Livestock and Animal Health Ministry of Agriculture, Gratitude Iwantoro, explaining the agency heads in the beef production centre will meet with the head office in Jakarta and West Java to discuss the supply of cattle to the area of ​​Jakarta and West Java.