February 25, 2013
Indonesia reduces quotas for beef imports
Indonesia is being accused of intentional manipulation with data to justify cutting imports of Australia's beef and live cattle.
The country's has slashed the amount of imports it will allow from Australia and elsewhere.
The so-called self-sufficiency policy relies on a prediction that Indonesia is close to feeding its own demand for beef.
However, local farmers, importers and economists say the government's cattle numbers don't stack up.
Since 2010, the Indonesian government has slashed cattle and beef imports from Australia by nearly 80%.
At a feedlot in South Jakarta, the head of the local farmers' association, Teguh Boediyana, is happy about imports being cut but says predicting local supply is unreliable.