Indonesia chicken sellers reject slaughterhouse relocation

Chicken retailers at Jakarta's traditional markets are opposing the administration's plan to clean up poultry slaughterhouses in inner city areas on worries that business could be affected.

To prevent the spread of bird flu, the Jakarta administration seeks to ban backyard farming and to remove all poultry slaughterhouses from inner city areas by April. The agency has named five new locations for poultry slaughterhouses in the peripheral areas of Jakarta.

Most vendors have expressed their objection to the plan, pointing out the new locations are far from the city centre where customers are. Vendors are concerned they would not receive chicken meat on time if the administration moved the slaughterhouses to the peripheral areas of Jakarta. They are also worried about the administration's ability to handle severe traffic congestion in the city which could affect meat delivery time.

Edy Setiarto, head of the city's husbandry, fishery and maritime agency, ensured the relocation of the slaughterhouses would not affect the stability of meat supply in the city. The agency has prepared 250 freezers to help vendors in the city's wet markets keep chicken meat fresh.