March 1, 2011

Indonesia to tighten meat import regulations

The Indonesian government is planning to tighten regulations on meat imports due to varying demand for different types of meat.

"There have only been increases in demand on meat of certain kinds," said Deputy Agriculture Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi.

Oxtail saw the highest increase - up to 30% a year, while tenderloin imports had increased up to 12% a year, Bayu said.

Demand for innards, as well as second-and third-grade beef, used in the production of popular street foods such as meatballs, had also increased sharply, he said.

Such demands fulfilled up to 35% of national meat demand, Bayu said. The draft of a new government regulation on meat imports is expected to provide import permits for those meats experiencing increasing demand.

Association of Indonesian Meat Producers and Feedlot chairman Johny Liano welcomed the idea, adding that until now meat imports had been poorly regulated.

The association also called for the banning of transhipment to avoid discrepancies between import documentation (SPP) and actual volume.