2.000 Live Cows Arrive From Australia, Head Of NFA: To Fulfill The Needs Of Fasting, Eid Al-Fitr, And Eid Al-Adha

Illustration. (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - The government has brought in 2.000 live cattle from Queensland, Australia for intensive fattening or fattening in Indonesia. This is also in order to meet stock during national religious holidays (HBKN) starting from Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha.

Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi said this step was part of national food security efforts in maintaining supply and stabilizing cattle prices so as not to soar in the market.

"The live cattle from Australia will be fattened for the next two to three months for Eid al-Adha needs and there are also cows that are ready to be sent to centers to meet their needs during fasting and Eid," he said in an official statement, Tuesday, April 12.

Arief said the number of live cattle that came was approximately 2.000 heads. Some of these cows descended on Jakarta, and some of them descended on Lampung.

Arief further said that in order to meet the needs of the 2022 Religious and National Holidays (HBKN), we are trying to stock up live cattle both domestically through the mobilization of local live cattle and reserves for imported procurement.

"Stock for procurement from within the country is also key, one of which is from East Java, Central Java, and also in the near future from Kupang from Sumbawa, plus these newly arrived cattle from Australia for fattening," he said.

Arief continued that the fattening cows will be raised intensively through several cattle pens that previously existed but were not active, but were reactivated. So it is reactivated so that it can be used as a place for us to bring in live cows.

"Currently 2.000 live cows have arrived, and they will continue to arrive, either through BUMN Food Holding for the Animal Husbandry sector, PT Berdikari or private or other feedloters. From Sumbawa, cattle mobilization will also take place in the next 4-5 days starting from come in," he said.

Arief said that in the future, together with the Ministry of Transportation, we will mobilize cattle from one area to another or from one island to another from the farmer center.

"We have coordinated with the Minister of Transportation Budi Karya, then with SOEs regarding the ease of distribution of food logistics through the sea highway, in parallel in the future there will be livestock ships, there are also ordinary ships," he said.

Meanwhile, Director General of Livestock and Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Nasrullah added that to meet the needs of beef commodities, some are entered as feeder cattle, then fattened for a few months so that they are ready to be slaughtered.

The distribution mechanism will be mobilized from production sources to consumer centers, BUMN collaboration through B2B schemes with Food SOEs.

"So in principle the availability of beef is safe, the supply is there, the government has realized the supply of cattle for the needs of the community," said Nasrullah.