Minister Keeps the Freeze on Port Beef by Dian Ariffahmi With the presidential election and the end of his term looming, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyanto seems to believe that he alone has the right to decide what meat is halal and what meat isn’t, no matter what the Indonesian Council of Ulema, Coordinating Ministry for the Economy or the trade minister might have to say.

Singapore. Palm oil futures in Malaysia fell a fourth day on speculation that prices may be volatile over the next few years as fertilizer costs affect planters. “Fertilizer prices could be the next major indirect determinant of crude palm oil prices,” said Hoe Lee Leng of RHB Research Institute in a report on Friday. Palm oil may experience “significant price volatilities ahead for the next few years,” the plantation analyst wrote.

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Players in the furniture and crafts industry still see gloomy prospects for the coming months as signals on possible recovery still remain over the horizon, an association says. The negative impact of the global downturn on the furniture and handicrafts industry was confirmed in the first quarter of 2009 as total exports slumped by 35 percent compared to the same period last year.

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Workers at French retailer Carrefour in Yogyakarta continue their strike for a second day on Saturday (6/6) to demand better pay rise. Over 100 worker join the strike on Saturday affecting the retailer operation for two days since Friday.