Stocks Of Chicken And Buffalo Less Ahead Of Ramadan And Eid, Food Agency ASKs For ID FOOD And Bulog For The Acceleration Of Imports

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government through the National Food Agency (Bapanas) or NFA encourages the acceleration of the procurement of beef and buffalo imports through ID FOOD and Bulog to maintain stock and avoid scarcity ahead of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 2023.

Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi said that based on the Prognosis of the Food Balance compiled by NFA, the initial stock of national meat in January 2023 was 56,000 tons, while the average national meat requirement per month was 67,000 tons.

Therefore, said Arief, optimizing domestic meat stocks remains a priority to meet the surge in demand for meat ahead of fasting and Eid.

"From the balance sheet calculation, of course, meat stocks to meet the needs of fasting and Eid must be top up (in order to meet the surge in demand and needs afterward," he said in an official statement, written on Sunday, February 19.

Arief admitted that he had submitted a request for SOE Minister Erick Thohir to assign ID FOOD to procure beef imports.

"We have also asked Bulog for the procurement of buffalo meat," he said.

Through this assignment, ID FOOD will procure around 100,000 tons of beef and Bulog will procure around 100,000 tons of buffalo.

"Arrivals are carried out in stages, we accelerate (its arrival) before Eid to increase stock and maintain meat prices in the community," he said.

This procurement assignment, said Arief, was in accordance with the agreement of the Technical Coordination Meeting (Rakornis) and the Ministerial Level Limited Coordination Meeting (Rakortas) in January in order to maintain supply stability and food prices in 2023 and strengthen Government Food Reserves (CPP).

"This step is also in line with the direction of the President of the Republic of Indonesia so that the Ministry/Institution in detail calculates and ensures food stocks for the community," he said.

Arief said the imported beef and buffalo would be distributed in several types so that they are more affordable and people have many choices.

First, the type of hot food or beef that is directly obtained from the process after slaughtering live cows costs around Rp. 135,000-Rp. 140,000 per kg.

Second, frozen beef or frozen beef imported from Brazil costs approximately Rp110,000 per kg, and buffalo at a price of around Rp80,000 per kg.

"We give the choice, people want to choose which one, beef from the newly eaten live cows, frozen beef, buffalo meat," he explained.

Furthermore, Arief explained, ruminansia meat is one of the strategic food commodities whose availability still has to be supported by foreign supplies. Considering that domestic production has not been able to cover national needs.

It is estimated that in 2023 the production of domestic ruminan meat will be 404,000 tons, while the number of needs is around 815,000 tons in one year.

To meet this supply shortage, external supplies are needed. This outside procurement step is what we encourage and accelerate from the start, apart from fasting and Eid times being more advanced, also so that there is no shortage in society throughout the year," he explained.

As for the average price of national ruminant meat at the consumer level, according to the NFA Food Price Panel as of February 17 it is at IDR 134,190 per kg. This price is still below the Reference Sales Price (HAP) which is set at IDR 140,000 per kg and tends to be stable since October 2022.