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Meat Self-Sufficiency still needs 3 Years
Pontianak - Policies on feeder cattle import will be modified to support the beef self-sufficiency program and protect local market competition. Readjustments of the policies will not affect the price of beef in domestic markets.
Thus was a statement from the Director General of Livestock Services from the Ministry of Agriculture, Tjeppy D Sudjana, when contacted on Monday (25/1) in Jakarta. “We are readjusting import recommendations so the implementation of feeder cattle import will be more organized. We don’t want to import more than what we need,” said Tjeppy.
In the last few years, said Tjeppy, the realization of feeder cattle import is lower than import permits requested by importers. Not all feeder cattle imported can be immediately slaughtered, some must be fattened first. Even, productive cows imported are separated to be bred.
”If feeder cattle are continuously imported despite of sufficient supplies, it will reduce the price competitiveness of domestic cattle, said Tjeppy.
According to Director of Ruminant Livestock Breeding from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fauzi Luthan, the recommendation for feeder cattle import for 2009 was around 1.1 million head, but the realization was only 700,000 heads and 200,000 heads of the cattle still needs fattening. So, in fact, realization of the demand was only 500,000 heads of cattle.
In response to the plan to readjust feeder cattle import, Coordinator for Indonesian Cattle Producers and Feedlots, Dayan Antoni, said until now it is still unclear whether the government has finished readjusting the policies or not.
”Even though recommendations for import are stopped, feeder cattle importers could still import cattle using previous recommendations so there will be no increase in beef price,” he said.
Regarding low realization of feeder cattle import, Dayan said that is was due to slow sales in local markets approaching new years. Beef demand for semester I year 2010 is estimated to decline; hence realization of feeder cattle import will be low as well. But, there is an indication that the volume of frozen beef import will increase.
Wait three years
According to General Chairman of the Indonesian Beef Importer Association, Thomas Sembiring, results of the beef self-sufficiency program will only be seen in another three years. Therefore, the government is advised to not hastily reduce the importation of feeder cattle or beef. Stopping feeder cattle import or beef import will create imbalance in supply and demand because domestic production has not increased.
“The more serious implications will be instability in national meat production,” said Thomas. (MAS)
Source : Kompas