No Brazilian beef for Indonesia in Ramadan due to delay in audits - official

Photo: A butcher prepares beef for sale at a traditional market in Jakarta, Indonesia May 4, 2015. REUTERS/Nyimas Laula

JAKARTA –Indonesia will not be importing beef from Brazil this Ramadan as planned as its checks and audits of production units and facilities in the Latin American country have not been completed, I Ketut Diarmita, general director of livestock and animal health at the ministry of agriculture told Salaam Gateway.

Indonesia stopped importing beef from Brazil in March last year following the outbreak of the “Weak Flesh” tainted meat scandal.

Indonesia’s government announced in March this year that it would be conducting a month-long study of Brazil’s halal slaughter and beef production facilities, with the aim of importing from the country in time for Ramadan that started on May 17.

“Currently we are conducting risk analysis studies for cattle slaughter housing in Brazil,” said Diarmita.

“We set up an expert team consisting of Tri Sathya Naipospos from the ministry of agriculture, Bambang Sumiarto from Gadjah Mada University and AA Gde Putra from Bali’s disease investigation center. This team will work to ensure the cows are free from foot and mouth disease,” he said.

Diarmita added that representatives from the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) have also joined the team to check on the Shariah compliance of slaughter houses.

A new date for the completion of the audits has not been set, said Diarmita. 

LOWERING PRICES WITH IMPORTS

Beef consumption is expected to reach 116,000 tons in Ramadan, a 15 percent increase over a normal month, said Diarmita.

Local beef production will only reach around 75,000 tons and the shortfall of 41,000 tons is covered by imports that authorities hope will lower prices that are pushed up by suppliers during the holy month.

Since 2016, Indonesia’s government has set a price ceiling of 80,000 Indonesian rupiah ($5.65) per kilogram of frozen beef and 120,000 rupiah per kilogram of fresh beef.

Prices on the ground today in the capital Jakarta range between 110,000 rupiah and 130,000 rupiah per kilogram, according to official data from the information center for strategic food prices (PIHPS).

State-owned procurements agency Bulog has secured 48,000 tons of frozen buffalo meat from India and another state-owned enterprise, Berdikari, has a contract for 9,180 tons of frozen buffalo meat also from India, according to Diarmita.

Bulog has vowed to not sell above the price ceiling of 80,000 per kilogram.

($1 = 14,148 Indonesian rupiah)

(Reporting by Yosi Winosa; Editing by Emmy Abdul Alim emmy.alim@thomsonreuters.com)

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