October 7, 2010

Indonesia imports live cattle above quota

Australian live cattle exporters are saying the Indonesian government is still issuing permits even though the annual cattle quota has been filled.

Earlier in the year, Indonesia imposed weight restrictions and tightened permit allocations, making it harder for Australian producers.

General manager of South-east Asian Livestock Services, Sid Parker, says it seems Indonesia is now issuing permits that were allocated for next year.

"They've said that there were only 190,000 head to be sent, but that's gone, and I believe that they say they're into next year's allocation," he says.

Weight restrictions into the country remain, reducing the overall number of cattle going into Indonesia compared to previous years.