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)