Buffalo Meat Prices Soar, Badanas Calls It The US Dollar And Indian Vendor
JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) revealed that the reason for the soaring price of buffalo meat in the country is because distributors in India deliberately raise prices and are affected by the United States (US) dollar exchange rate.
Head of Badanas Arief Prasetyo Adi said vendors in India set the price of buffalo meat in the range of 3.8 US dollars to 3.9 US dollars per kilogram (kg).
Meanwhile, the rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar is at the level of Rp. 16,300.
"In the past, the price was only 3 US dollars. So if the price is high, because the purchase price is high, plus the rate is now Rp. 16,300, how do you want it to be cheap," he said at the SPHP coordination meeting ahead of the 2025 fasting and Eid, quoted from YouTube. Badanas, Wednesday, February 12.
Based on data from the Indonesian Meat Distributor Association (ADDI), the price of frozen buffalo meat for the rear thigh types ranges from Rp. 100,000 to Rp. 120,000. Meanwhile, for the front thigh, it starts from Rp. 95,000 to Rp. 110,000 per kg.
If referring to this data, the price of buffalo meat has already exceeded the price of beef. Based on ADDI data, as of February 10, 2025, the price of beef for the rear thigh ranges from Rp119,000 to Rp125,000 per kg. Meanwhile, the front thigh is Rp100,000 to Rp115,000 per kg for the distributor level.
Arief said the government's goal of supplying buffalo meat is to stabilize. That is, to keep domestic meat prices stable.
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Therefore, Arief said that he and the Bapanas ranks would re-calculate, as well as look for new vendors who could supply buffalo meat at a much cheaper price.
"For meat, buffalo meat is actually for stabilization. Yesterday I called the Director General of PKH, if the vendor in India costs 3.8 to 3.9 US dollars per kg, yes we have to start counting again, meaning we are looking for a new vendor. So, Deputy, please communicate, just survey there (India), 2 to 3 more vendors whose prices can be below," he said.