Indonesia to import more beef and live cattle to address deficit

Indonesia will import 502,000 head of cattle and 85,500 tonnes of beef to help fill a gap in protein supply in the domestic market, Fadjar Sumping Tjatur Rasa, director of the country's Ministry of Agriculture, said last week. In addition, Indonesia also plans to issue import licenses for 100,000 tons of Brazilian beef and Indian water buffalo, it said in a statement. The ministry estimated Indonesia's beef and buffalo consumption in 2021 at almost 696,956 tonnes, an increase of around 64% over last year, resulting in a supply gap of 223,142 tonnes. By February, the government expects shipments of cattle from Mexico to raise the country's national stocks, said Nasruallah, director general of the ministry. Indonesia mainly imports cattle from Australia, but the government has said it wants to source more cattle from elsewhere. Meat vendors in the Jakarta metropolitan area went on strike for ...