Gov`t to Import 10,000 Tons of Frozen Beef ahead of Eid al-Adha

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government will issue a recommendation of frozen beef imports to curb rising prices ahead of the Islamic Eid al-Adha holiday.

“In the near future, there will be 10,000 tons of imported frozen beef,” Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said on Tuesday, August 16, 2016.

Amran admitted that the government had not been able to reduce beef prices yet in local markets. Since the Eid al-Fitr holiday, beef is available for around Rp130,000 (US$10) per kilogram, while President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo wanted the prices to be around Rp80,000 (US$6).  

Minister Amran did not specify where the beef would be imported from. However, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukito earlier said that one of the alternatives sources of beef imports was Latin America.

Amran would also instruct animal health agencies to ensure that the imported beef is hygienic.

Earlier, Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said that beef prices had not been stable. According to Darmin, beef imports could be a solution to the rising prices.

“However, we will still be focusing on expanding the cow population in Indonesia,” he added.

In response to a question related to the quantity, Darmin revealed that the government had planned to import 600,000 cows. To this date, he said that about half of the figure had been realized.

ROBBY IRFANY | ADITYA BUDIMAN