Indonesia Halts Cattle Imports to Investigate Deaths of Australian Cows on Ship

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture plans to halt and close a livestock import source after live cows imported from Australia die on board the ship bringing them in. The suspension will last until the investigation is completed.

"Nuryani Zainuddin, director of animal health at the Agriculture Ministry’s Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health, said that the National Veterinary Agency received this information from the Australian government via WhatsApp," the ministry’s head of PR Arief Cahyono told Tempo in a text message on Wednesday, March 27.

Arif said he received information about a disease outbreak that caused live cows sent from Australia to Indonesia to die on the Brahman Express. He said the Agriculture Ministry will coordinate with Indonesia's quarantine agency to conduct a full investigation into the case, cooperating with the Australian government.

While the investigation is ongoing, the Ministry of Agriculture will temporarily close one premise register from the animal source until the investigation is declared complete.

He did not explain in detail how many cows were being imported, how many had died, and what kind of disease the animals were infected with. "These are the only answers I have received so far from the animal health authorities," he said.

When contacted on March 27, the head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo Adi, said he had not heard the information specifically, but said that "the cows should not be able to enter Indonesia if they have a disease.

On March 20, PT RNI (Persero) or ID FOOD President Director Frans Marganda Tambunan said the company would bring in 2,350 cattle from Australia at the end of March 2024 to meet Eid needs.

DESTY LUTHFIANI | SAVERO ARISTIA WEINANTO

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