Indo to import up to 300,000 more cattle
"For the fourth quarter,
Indonesia is expected to import about 200,000 to 300,000 cattle in the final quarter of this year, but is looking to push local production next year.
Trade official Karyanto Suprih on Wednesday said the majority would come from Australia, but in the future Indonesia would look to another source, including New Zealand.
"For the fourth quarter, the expectation is around 200-300 thousand," said Karyanto, the acting foreign trade director-general in the trade ministry.
He said the final figure would be decided by the ministry of the economy.
However, local media are reporting the agriculture ministry has had its 2016 budget for breeding cattle cut by 85 per cent, from one trillion rupiah ($A96.6 million) to 150 billion rupiah, enabling it to buy just 5000 head of cattle instead of 30,000 previously.
Instead, the government will push local production to meet domestic demand, the Sinar Harapan website says.
The director-general of livestock and animal health, Muladno Basar, said the government had diverted the funds to other priorities, including boosting the local animal husbandry centre in the hopes it will supply up to 50,000 head of breeding cattle in 2016.
However, the government will continue to import cattle from foot-and-mouth free countries, such as Australia, to make up the shortfall.
Source AAP 16 SEP, 8:37 PM
