August 8, 2011

Indonesia's meat supplies fulfill festive demand

Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture has guaranteed that domestic meat supplies were sufficient to meet people's demands during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan and post-fasting month of Lebaran.

The government will only add 18,000 tonnes of imported meat this year from the predetermined quota of 72,000 tonnes. The additional quota which brought the total to 90,000 tonnes was expected to meet the demands from industries and restaurants approaching Lebaran.

The agreement to increase frozen meat imports is based on the increasing demands from industries and restaurants which currently rise by 15% and 7% respectively. Meanwhile, meat demand for households increased by 3% and the demand is currently fulfilled by domestic cattle.

"Cattle meat is enough until September. We have even guaranteed supply since the Australian cattle export suspension issue," Agriculture Minister Suswono said on Thursday (Aug 4).

He said that the imported slaughter cows from Australia were now being prepared to meet the need for meat after Lebaran.

Ahead, he added, all national needs for meat needs would be met at home so that Indonesia did not need to import ones.

The minister said that at present, the need for meat at home totalled 430,000 tonnes, while the live cattle stocks or slaughter caws now totalled 124 head or equivalent to 180kg/head.

Suswono said that Indonesia would reduce its imports of slaughter cattle in the future in an effort to support the country's self-sufficient programme.