Jakarta, Oct 8 (Antara) - Indonesia's cattle production is not yet enough to meet the domestic need of beef, making it necessary to import cattle meat even as efforts are on to improve livestock farming at home.
In a bid to speed up beef self-reliance, the Ministry of Agriculture will provide four million artificial insemination kits free of charge to breeders across the country.
Indonesia still needs to import one million heads of cows this year to meet the domestic need for beef. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade, therefore, require importers to include heifers while importing feedlot cattle.
"We hope that some 20 percent of the 700 thousand imported feedlot cattle are heifers," Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said in Yogyakarta on Thursday (Oct 6).
To expedite cattle production, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade have made it obligatory for importers to include mother cows in their feedlot cattle imports.
The government expects that this will enable breeders to earn an income while waiting for the result of the artificial insemination program. Besides, the government is also preparing a plan to grant licenses for cooperatives to import feedlot cattle.
As a result, the cattle farmers joining the cooperatives will continue to earn some income even as they proceed with the production. Besides, the people would not run short of protein.
According to Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita, any group of cattle breeders should be considered as a cooperative. "I have talked to the Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. The cooperatives will be given licenses to import feedlot cattle which could be slaughtered in four months," Minister Enggartiasto said at a function featuring a calf harvest produced through artificial insemination program 2016, in Lamongan East Java, on Saturday (Oct 8).
Efforts to expedite production are currently being undertaken in East Java with an emphasis on enabling breeders to earn an income even as they await the results of the artificial insemination program and the development of heifers.
Cattle farmers have to have an income even as the pedigree fattens. "We will take steps for breeders to be prosperous because otherwise, they will slaughter the heifers to meet their immediate needs," the minister added.
Based on experience, during the one and a half year period that cattle take from pedigree to the stage where these can be slaughtered, breeders face a financial difficulty as they keep bearing the production cost without earning any income.
Enggiarto explained that if farmers were to import feedlot cattle through cooperatives, they would need financing. Such financing for the farmers in East Java will be provided by East Java Governor Soekarwo. The governor said the regional government of East Java was prepared to guarantee the credit loans given to cattle breeders.
"We will handle the issue of funds. The governor said he was prepared to become a guarantor. The central government will use its authority to change the ratio of loans for which farmers are eligible. We will soon submit a report about this to the president and the chief economic minister," noted Enggartiasto.
The minister noted that he was convinced the plan will be implemented soon as it was in line with the instructions of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
"After the pedigree cattle are fattened, these could be slaughtered and the farmers can earn an income. Of course, they will have to repay their loans availed through the cooperatives. We are presuming they will have feedlot cattle and also female or breeder cows, but in case they lack heifers, we will provide them breeder cows," Enggartiasto explained.
The central government will prepare forage while the regional governments will prepare cowsheds and land. If all goes as per plan, the proposal could soon be submitted to the central government.
Based on data with the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises, 556 cooperatives have livestock units and are registered with the online data system. Another 68 new cooperatives with livestock business units belong to 161 farmers groups and are spread in all provinces across the country.
In the meantime, the government will import 100 thousand tons of buffalo meat in an effort to meet domestic needs and to help stabilize the meat prices since beef is still being sold at a relatively high price of Rp100 thousand per kilogram (kg).
Buffalo meat is being imported as it is relatively cheaper at about Rp65 thousand per kg.
Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said the government will continue its plan to import buffalo meat from India to meet the people's need for meat in view of the high prices of beef at home. "We will continue importing the commodity as long as consumers need it," Minister Amran stated on the sidelines of an exhibition on food and domestically produced goods that opened at Mandala Kredia Square, Yogyakarta, on Thursday (Oct 6).
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution, who chaired a meeting on stabilization of prices and availability of food on Sept 13, disclosed that the government would import up to 100 thousand tons of buffalo meat, and an import permit for it will be granted. It will remain valid till June 2017.
"We are targeting the import of 100 thousand tons of meat. A total of 70 thousand tons would be imported by the end of December 2016, and the remaining 30 thousand tons will be imported in preparation for fasting and Idul Fitri," Darmin added.
***3***(A014/INE)EDITED BY INE/H-YH(T.A014/A/BESSR/A/Yosep) 08-10-2016 18:54:1 |
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