Beef to be imported to meet likely shortfall

Beef to be imported to meet likely shortfall

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia plans to import 308,200 calves for
fattening and 24,300 tons of beef this year to meet locals'
growing taste for beef.

Ministry of Agriculture data made available to Antara
yesterday revealed that domestic demand for beef would rise to
498,000 tons this year.

Only 1,733 local cattle and 244,000 local buffaloes will be
slaughtered for consumption this year, giving the country 370,000
tons of beef -- a 127,600-ton shortfall.

According to the data, domestic demand could be met if the
country imported 308,200 cattle to be fattened up to produce
82,600 tons of beef and supplemented this with 24,300 tons of
imported beef and 276,000 artificially fattened cattle to produce
20,700 tons of beef.

National economic growth is expected to reach 7 percent, the
population is to grow 1.55 percent and the average per capita
income is to increase 5.45 percent this year.

Demand for beef will increase 5.95 percent to 2.49 kilograms
per capita this year, up from 2.35 kilograms of beef per capita
last year, the data said.

Indonesia's population is estimated to increase to 199,867
million people this year and beef consumption is estimated to
reach 498,000 tons.

The country's cattle population is estimated to grow 5.5
percent from 11.9 million last year, and the population of
buffalo by 5.8 percent from 3.2 million last year.

But, according to the data, only 14.5 percent (1,733 million
cattle) of the country's cattle and 7.45 percent (244,000
buffaloes) of its buffaloes will be fit for slaughter this year.
(jsk)