JAKARTA (AFP) – Indonesia said Wednesday it could buy more beef from New Zealand after Australia suspended live cattle exports due to concerns over animal cruelty.
Jakarta is not yet satisfied that a video showing brutal abuse of Australian cattle in Indonesian slaughterhouses is authentic, according to Agriculture ministry livestock department chief Prabowo Respatiyo Caturroso.
But he said the government was determined to improve butchering practices wherever cruelty was discovered.
"We have to respect the Australian government's decision to stop its live cattle exports to Indonesia," Caturroso told AFP.
"We're fully aware that we have to improve animal welfare in our abattoirs. Our investigators are still checking the accuracy of the video on cruel treatment of livestock here," he said.
Trade minister Mari Pangestu said that Indonesians should not worry about meat shortages following Australia's decision earlier Wednesday to ban all live cattle exports to Indonesia for up to six months.
"This is a temporary ban. We don't need to worry that we will have shortage of meat supply in the country, especially for holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holiday because our meat stock is more than enough," she said.
"As to animal welfare issue, the agriculture ministry will intensify its programs (to improve it). We'll cooperate and make coordination with Australia for capacity building in meeting the standard," she said.
Economics affairs coordinating minister Hatta Rajasa said Indonesia had to boost efforts to become self-sufficient in domestic meat supply and raise standards at abattoirs where necessary.
"But please don't generalise that all abattoirs here are bad," he said.
Australia's action came amid a public outcry over shocking images of the mistreatment of cows in slaughterhouses that were broadcast on state television.
Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig said the trade, worth Aus$318 million a year (US$340 million), would not start again until safeguards were in place to ensure animal welfare in Indonesia.
The footage broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation included kicking, hitting, gouging of eyes and breaking of tails of some animals as Indonesian workers attempted to force them into slaughter boxes.
Australian cattle account for about a fifth of Indonesia's rising beef consumption, or around 500,000 head a year.
Indonesia has enough cattle of its own to make up the difference but they are not in commercially viable herds, Caturroso said. The export ban may spur local farmers to raise their game, he added.
"Surely, if Australia stops the export, New Zealand is ready to export more beef to Indonesia," he said, adding this would mean frozen beef as New Zealand does not export cattle for slaughter.
"I hope it won't give a significant impact as our population's beef consumption is relatively low. It's only 2.4 kilograms (five pounds) per capita annually."
Indonesia's parliament passed a law on livestock welfare in 2009 but it has not been implemented and no sanctions are in place for abattoirs that mistreat animals, despite the mainly Muslim's country's concerns about halal butchering.
