Bulog Boss: Soft Indian Frozen Buffalo Meat, Perfect for Rendang or Stews

President Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - Main Director of Perum Bulog Budi Waseso said that frozen buffalo meat from India that entered Indonesia was of good quality. In fact, there is no fat. So it is suitable for processed stews and rendang.

"Anything, rendang is okay, semur is okay. Anyway, good quality meat, depending on what you want to cook. It's okay to burn it, make satay," he said while reviewing the sale of frozen meat at Alfamidi Super Bangka Raya in Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta, Friday, April 14.

Currently, said Buwas, the nickname for Budi Waseso, said that imported buffalo meat is in great demand. According to him, this is because buffalo meat has similarities with beef.

"Nowadays, people have started to understand that buffalo meat is as good as beef. The price is relatively cheap, so people have alternatives. If you've never tried buffalo meat, buy it and try it first, is it the same or not, is it better or not? So there is no doubt," he said.

As is known, the government has assigned Perum Bulog to import as much as 100,000 tons of frozen buffalo meat throughout 2023. For the first phase, as many as 18,000 tons of buffalo meat from India have entered.

The meat entered Indonesia through the ALM brand at New Priok Container Terminal One (NPCT 1), Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, last Wednesday, April 12.

As previously reported, the government through Perum Bulog continues to make efforts to help address the recently increasing demand for meat by holding a Frozen Buffalo Meat Market Operation through modern retail through 88 Alfamidi branches spread across the Jabodetabek area.

This step is to ensure the availability of meat and at the same time guarantee that there will be no fluctuations in meat prices during Ramadan and ahead of Idul Fitri this year.

Buwas said the cooperation with Alfamidi would later be expanded beyond the Greater Jakarta area. This is so that people can obtain food, especially meat, quickly, easily and cheaply.

"Bulog will use all existing instruments to ensure the availability of these staple foods and I have issued instructions to all Bulog levels in the country to prepare stocks of frozen meat that people can buy directly," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo Adi said, Bulog's collaboration with modern retailers such as Alfamidi was a follow-up to President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) directives so that the price of meat was in accordance with the highest retail price (HET) set.

"Here we see together that frozen meat stocks are available at Alfamidi with a selling price according to the highest retail price according to the government's expectations, namely IDR 80.000 per kilogram," said Arief.