November 2, 2012

Australia may not get quick response on beef stranded in Indonesia

The Australian government is unlikely to get a quick response on why US$10 million worth of frozen beef is stranded at a dock in Jakarta.

Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig has written to his Indonesian counterpart, Minister Suswono, to 'try to resolve the situation as quickly as possible'. But Minister Suswono is currently in the Middle East on the religious Hajj Pilgrimage to the Islamic Holy City of Mecca.

Indonesia's director general of the department that deals with the beef imports, Syukur Iwantoro, is also overseas, in the Netherlands.

The boxed beef has been at the docks for more than three months and was rejected because the amount breached the import quota allowed for the importing company.

One of the three companies that exported the 118 container of beef is Allegro Meats, in Western Australia. Managing director Geoff Bull has called on the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, or Trade Minister Craig Emerson, to personally intervene.