July 6, 2005

Indonesia to make the switch to mad cow free countries for its beef imports

Chairman of the Indonesian Beef Importers Association (Aspidi), Thomas Sembiring said that Indonesian importers are ready to switch to other countries free of the mad cow disease like Australia and New Zealand.

However, the association has asked the government to give some leeway to the import contracts they had signed by lifting the US beef import ban this October at the latest.

From January to April this year, US fresh beef exports to Indonesia totalled 10 tonnes, frozen beef imports at 8,611 tonnes, and innards at 7,950 tonnes. Some 200 tons of the frozen beef and innards are still outstanding in June.

Thomas said that demand for US beef in the Indonesian market was high. Data of the Directorate General of Animal Husbandry showed that Indonesia's US beef imports in 2004 reached 10,343.7 tonnes, while imports from Australia and New Zealand were at 14,951 tonnes and 8,517 tonnes respectively.