Govt Tasks Bulog with Importing 100,000 Tons of Buffalo Meat

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government has entrusted the State Logistics Board (Bulog) with importing 100,000 tons of buffalo meat to cater to domestic requirements, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated.

The decision to import buffalo meat was reached at a coordination meeting between the Trade Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, and Bulog at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in Jakarta on Friday.

Bulog Director for Business and Industrial Development Bachtiar noted that the 100,000 tons of buffalo meat will be imported within a one-year period.

In the near future, Bulog will import 25,000 tons of buffalo meat from India to fulfill the demand during the fasting month of Ramadhan and the subsequent Eid al-Fitr festivities that will fall in April and May 2020.

"We plan to import buffalo meat (from India). During this period of time, we will import 20,000 tons to cater to the demand during the Eid al-Fitr festivities. It is expected to arrive (in Indonesia) in April," he stated.

Bulog currently holds one thousand tons of buffalo meat in stock, excluding that at distributors. The agency is awaiting an import permit from the Trade Ministry, he revealed.

Soon after the Trade Ministry issues the permit, Bulog will import buffalo meat from India, he confirmed.

"The permit will be issued soon," he stated.

Based on the result of the National Socio-Economic Survey conducted by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2019, per capita beef/buffalo meat consumption had reached 2.66 kilograms per year. The demand for beef/buffalo meat until May 2020 is projected to reach 302,300 tons.

In the meantime, national production of beef/buffalo meat until May 2020 is expected to touch 165,478 tons.

ANTARA