Local breeders told to export chickens to U.S.<\/p>\n
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo, East Java<\/p>\n
While honoring one local poultry breeder's ability to export
\nchickens to Japan, which is considered the world's strictest
\nmarket for chicken products, Minister of Agriculture Bungaran
\nSaragih called on other local poultry breeders to explore new
\nmarkets, including the United States.<\/p>\n
\"Our ability to enter the Japanese market is proof that we are
\nable to produce quality chicken products that meet international
\nstandards,\" Bungaran said.<\/p>\n
He made the statement after a ceremony here on Friday marking
\nthe shipment to Japan of the 100th container of chicken products
\nby PT Ciomas Adisatwa, a subsidiary of publicly listed company PT
\nJapfa Comfeed Tbk.<\/p>\n
The statement also came amid a controversy over the import of
\nchicken legs from the U.S., which has sparked protests in many
\nquarters of the country.<\/p>\n
The ministry is among those parties opposed to the import of
\nU.S. chicken legs. Observers speculated that Bungaran invited
\njournalists to cover the event on Friday to underline the fact
\nthat Indonesia is able to produce chicken products that meet
\ninternational standards, and therefore has no need to import
\nchicken legs from the U.S.<\/p>\n
In his comments, Bungaran said the Japanese government imposed
\nextremely strict conditions on all chicken products entering the
\ncountry, and that only a few countries were able to enter the
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
\"In view of this fact, I believe the local poultry industry
\ncan compete and enter new markets, such as the U.S., Europe, the
\nMiddle East, Malaysia and Singapore,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The minister noted that all of the different markets had
\nspecial needs, and that people in Europe and the U.S., for
\nexample, consumed for the most part chicken breasts.<\/p>\n
\"I hope that soon we will be able to export quality chicken
\nbreasts to the U.S. as we have done to the Japanese market,\"
\nBungaran said.<\/p>\n
The import of chicken legs from the U.S. has caused concern
\namong small local breeders that the imports, which cost less than
\ndomestic chicken legs, will put them out of business.<\/p>\n
Some people claim the imported chicken legs can be sold here
\ncheaply because in the U.S. they have almost no value.<\/p>\n
\"In the U.S., chicken legs are considered trash, eaten only by
\nanimals. I know because I have been there,\" Amidhan, the chairman
\nof the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), said earlier.<\/p>\n
However, a number of American expatriates here disputed
\nAmidhan's claim, saying there was no truth to the assertion that
\nAmericans considered chicken legs \"trash\".<\/p>\n
The Americans said chicken legs were found in supermarkets and
\nrestaurants across the country, and people in the U.S. were as
\nwilling to eat chicken legs as any other part of the chicken.<\/p>\n
The MUI has insisted that it will reject the imported chicken
\nlegs unless they carry a halal label, which certifies that they
\ncan be eaten by Muslims.<\/p>\n
In mid-2001, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a policy
\nbanning the import of chicken legs from the U.S. on fears that
\nthe products were not halal.<\/p>\n
The U.S., however, has been pressing the Indonesian government
\nto lift the ban.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has intervened in the
\ndispute, calling on the agriculture ministry to allow the U.S.
\nchicken legs into the market.<\/p>\n
Rini said that under World Trade Organization rulings,
\nIndonesia could not simply ban chicken leg imports, but tariff
\nbarriers could still be imposed on them.<\/p>\n
Data from the Central Bureau of Statistic shows that the local
\npoultry industry has seen chicken imports grow 35-fold, from only
\n347 tons in 1998 to 14,017 tons in 2000.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in response to Bungaran's call, Japfa Comfeed
\npresident Syamsir Siregar said his company was ready to ship its
\nproducts to the U.S. once it began receiving orders.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. is a potential market, and we plan to export quality
\nchicken products to the U.S. market,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said Ciomas Adisatwa began exporting boneless chicken
\nproducts to Japan in 1999, shipping a total of 10 containers, or
\n240 tons, that year.<\/p>\n
\"Orders from Japan continue to increase because we can meet
\ntheir strict requirements,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In 2000, Ciomas increased its exports to Japan to 20
\ncontainers, and last year exported 50 containers.<\/p>\n
\"This year, we are targeting the export of some 125 containers
\nof chicken products to the country,\" Syamsir said.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Bungaran, in his speech during the ceremony, urged
\nthe local poultry industry to increase its ability to compete
\nagainst cheaper imported chicken products.<\/p>\n
\"We (the government) can't fully protect you (local poultry
\nbreeders) so you have to protect yourselves by increasing your
\ncompetitiveness,\" Bungaran said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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