English
Indonesia
Import Lowers Cattle Price by 30 Percent
Semarang - High cattle import has caused financial loss for cattle farmers in Central Java as the price of cattle plummeted by 30 percent, from Rp 12 million to Rp 8 million per head. Farmers hope the government immediately issues a policy to regulate cattle import.
The statement was released by Coordinator of the Central Java Farmer and Fishermen Network, Khafid Sirotudin, in Semarang on Monday (24/5). Large losses were suffered especially in Boyolali, Kendal, Karanganyar, and Purworejo.
Khafid said that cattle price had started falling since a month ago until it finally reached Rp 8 million from its original price of Rp 12 million. This occurred because there was an increase in the number of cattle imported this year, from 500,000 head per year to 600,000 heads per year.
In this condition, Khafid said, it will be difficult for farmers because they will still suffer financial loss whether they sell or keep their cattle. If cattle aren’t sold, farmers will be burdened by the price of feed, which is quite expensive.
Khafid said, one cattle will require 30,000 rupiahs worth of feed every day. The feed contains concentrates needed to fatten the cattle. “Within a month, a farmer could spend up to Rp 900,000. Without concentrates, the cattle are thin and nobody would want to buy it,” said Khafid.
Population
Head of the Livestock and Animal Health Service Office of Central Java, Witono, said that import has caused the price of cattle to fall in all regions, including Central Java. The cattle population in Central Java is 1.5 million heads and it is enough to answer the demand for beef in the region every year. “Even though Central Java doesn’t need to import cattle, the impact of cattle price fall has reached to the region,” said Witono.
Central Java province supplies cattle to DKI Jakarta and West Java. In a year, Central Java exports 125,000 cattle to the two regions.
Information System
Witono said there is an indication that traders purposely caused cattle price to fall. “Traders are using imported cattle to lower the price of local cattle. They only want to buy local cattle if it is cheap,” said Witono.
Currently the Livestock and Animal Health Service Office of Central Java is coordinating with the central government to handle the situation.
Head of the Agriculture Quarantine Agency, Hari Priyono, said to prevent illegal cattle import by forging import permits, the Agriculture Quarantine Agency as the inspection body invites the Directorate General of Livestock Services to establish an online permit information system. (den/mas)
Source: Kompas