Jakarta, July 20 (Antara) - A Constitutional Court's (MK's) verdict
over the judicial review of a law on animal health is expected to
overcome controversies arising from the government's plan to import meat
from nations not free from animal diseases.
According to the Indonesian Buffalo and Cow Breeders Association
(PPSKI), the MK's decision over the judicial review of Law No. 41 of
2014 on the amendment of Law No.18 of 2009 on animal husbandry and
animal health will end the controversies.
The government is planning to import buffalo meat from India in an
effort to encourage competition in meat sales and bring down the
skyrocketing domestic beef prices.
However, several quarters are opposed to the government's plan as India
is believed to be a nation that is not yet free from cattle
foot-and-mouth disease, apart from the consumption culture of
Indonesians, who are not accustomed to eating buffalo meat.
Hence,
PPSKI Chairman Teguh Boediyana stated that his organization had called
on the MK to soon issue a decision on the judicial review of Article 36
of Law No.41 of 2014 on the amendment of Law No.18 of 2009 on animal
husbandry and animal health. "The article to be reviewed
concerns provisions allowing the importation of animals or animal
products not based on a country but a zone," Teguh noted.
Animal products could be imported from a zone free from an animal disease.
Teguh
pointed out that the request for the judicial review of the article was
registered by the MK on October 16, 2015. The session to hear the
experts or witnesses from the petitioners, the government, and the House
of Representatives was held on May 12, 2016.
"We
are now awaiting the MK's verdict on the judicial review case, with
registration number 129/PUU-XIII/2015," he remarked.
A
verdict of the MK will end the controversies over the import of animals
and animal products, including on the government's plan to import
buffalo meat to help lower domestic beef prices. Controversies
arose as the government has planned to import buffalo meat from a
country whose status is not yet free from contagious diseases, such as
foot-and-mouth disease.
Teguh
affirmed that the decision taken by the MK on the judicial review of
article 36 of the law will put an end to the controversies.
"We hope the pros and cons on the importation of meat would be
evaluated soon, so that the government could focus on realizing
President Joko Widodo's plan to transform the country into a beef
self-reliant nation by 2026," he emphasized.
The Agriculture Ministry had earlier ensured that the buffalo meat to
be imported from India, which is considered to not be free from
foot-and-mouth disease, was a safe product.
Veterinarian Society Health Director of the Agriculture Ministry Sri
Mukartini noted that the slaughter of cows is banned in India, so
buffalos are slaughtered, including those exported to other countries.
"Those categorized as safe products include boneless meat. As long as
the meat is classified as a safe product, the possibility of it
containing live virus is small," Mukartini pointed out.
Animal Health Director of the Agriculture Ministry I Ketut Darmita
stated that the meat from India can be imported as long as it obtained
the expert commission's recommendation based on the World Organization
for Animal Health reference.
Darmita stated that before importing buffalo meat from India, the
government will send a team of experts to the country to directly review
the slaughterhouses and conduct an analysis of all aspects related to
technical and economic risks.
"We will seek guarantees on the food security and the halal aspect
(allowed based on the Islamic law) of the slaughtering process at the
abattoirs," Darmita added.
President
Jokowi has stressed that the plan to import buffalo meat is aimed at
shoring up the meat supply at home and provide consumers with
alternative meat. The government will import not only buffalo meat and
innards but also frozen beef.
If there are abundant supplies in the market, consumers will be able to
buy cheaper meat or viscera as the price of beef currently is still
over Rp120 thousand per kg. That is because business players were
controlling the price. The imports will be a short-term solution to
bring down the soaring beef prices.
In the long-run, the government will do its best to achieve its target
to become meat-self reliant. However, according to Jokowi, self-reliance
could be achieved in a span of nine to ten years.
"Frozen (cow) sperms must be procured. We have to have at least three
million calves every year. So, female cows should be prepared well to
achieve self-reliance," Jokowi was quoted as saying by detikfinace news
portal on Thursday (July 14).
He underlined that he could not understand why the price of beef in
Indonesia was so high. In Singapore and Malaysia, the prices of beef and
buffalo meat were lower at Rp60 thousand and Rp52 thousand per kg,
respectively. "Other countries can sell meat at a lower price, then why
can't we?" Jokowi questioned.
Legislator Firman Soebagyo of House Commission IV on agriculture of the
House of Representatives (DPR) stated on Saturday (July 16) that he
disagreed with the government's plan to import buffalo meat from India.
"If the government is really willing to import buffalo meat, it should
meet the existing regulatory mechanism. After all, the Indonesian people
are not used to consuming buffalo meat," Firman Soebagyo emphasized in a
written statement in Jakarta on Saturday.
The PPSKI has also asked the government to postpone its plan to import
buffalo meat from India because that country is still not free from
foot-and-mouth disease. Teguh Boediyana said that his organization has
sent a letter to Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin
Nasution and Trade Minister Thomas Lembong, asking them to postpone
plans to import buffalo meat from India. "We, the executive of
the PPSKI, implore that the government should put off its plan to buy
buffalo meat, or at least delay the distribution of such meat to the
market," he added.
***3***(A014/INE/O001)EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 20-07-2016 12:18:3 |
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