July 6, 2011

 

Indonesia ready to re-issue cattle permits

 

 

Indonesia has confirmed that it is ready to resume taking Australian cattle as soon as the suspension on live exports is lifted.

 

The Indonesian director-general of livestock, Prabowo Caturroso, whose office grants import permits to local feedlot operators each quarter, said on Tuesday (Jul 5) that he had only delayed issuing them because negotiations on animal welfare standards had not yet been completed.

 

"As soon as the suspension is lifted by the Australian government, I can issue the import permits immediately," Caturroso said, also rejecting reports that Indonesia had slapped a ban on cattle from Australia in retaliation over the suspension in live trade.

 

The comments followed a meeting in Jakarta between Caturroso and Australian Department of Agriculture deputy secretary Paul Morris, who described the talks as "constructive".

 

"We've been meeting with Indonesian officials to see if we can keep things moving along on the technical side of things," he told AAP.

 

But Morris was unable to say when a joint team of Australian and Indonesian vets would begin inspections of abattoirs, which the federal government has said must take place before the live trade can resume.

 

"There's been no decision as to how we go forward with that at this stage," Morris said.

 

"We've had very constructive discussions. We're hopeful the trade will be opened as quickly as possible," he said. "But obviously we need to conclude those discussions both at an official and ministerial level before the trade can be reopened."

 

The positive signals from the Indonesian government that it has stepped up efforts to resolve the matter were also backed up by a delegation from the Northern Territory which has been meeting with officials and industry, as well as inspecting feedlots.

 

Northern Territory Primary Industry Minister, Kon Vatskalis, said there was a clear willingness from the Indonesians to resume trade as soon as possible.

 

"The message we got is that should Australia remove the ban, the Indonesians will consider issuing licences straight away," he said.

 

He also said, however, that the federal government needed to resolve the matter sooner rather than later. "We cannot afford to delay for months."

 

Northern Territory Cattleman's Association president Rohan Sullivan said his members were becoming "extremely anxious" about the suspension in trade, now in its fourth week.

 

"The framework is there and if it's not 100%perfect, it's certainly 99% and right to go, and I think there's pretty general agreement about that," he said. "It just needs a signal from Australia."

 

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd will discuss the suspension and efforts to resume trade with the Indonesian Agriculture Minister, Suswono, in Jakarta on Friday (Jul 8).