June 16, 2009

The Indonesian Poultry Businesses Association (GPPI) said the issuance of Minister of Agriculture Regulation No. 20/Permentan/OT.140/4/2009 that permits import since such a policy will threaten the domestic poultry industry.

GPPI Chairperson Anton J Supit said stakeholders were not involved in the poultry import policy-making process.

Supit argued the government should strengthen the national poultry industry first before permitting import. He further argued that the national poultry industry could not compete with Brazil.

Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyantono on April 8 issued a regulation regulating the import and monitoring of imported carcass, meat, and/or innards. In addition to open poultry carcass import, the regulation also allows the imports of other cattle commodities, such as pork, beef and its products.

According to Anton, the national and Brazilian poultry industries is much advanced compared to Indonesia, plus, Brazil's corn and soy productions had been the largest in the world.

Anton also complained about the government's lack of swift response to the condition of the domestic poultry industry. He disclosed there was no reason for the government to issue the import permit just because the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The GPPI official cited that even other countries, such as the US, are willing to go extra length to protect their agricultural and animal husbandry sectors.