Belfood sees a decline in sales
Belfood sees a decline in sales
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Frozen food manufacturer PT Belfoods Indonesia has seen declining
sales and an export ban on its products by Japan as a result of
the bird flu scare in Indonesia and the region.
Belfoods, whose products include chicken nuggets, crispy fried
chicken and chicken wings and fillets under the brands Belfoods,
Delfarm and 222, said on Wednesday that in the first week after
the government announced the presence of bird flu in the country
on Jan. 25, its sales increased 18.45 percent.
"But in the week of Feb. 3 to Feb. 7, sales dropped by 21.73
percent from the previous week," said managing director Sri
Sumiyarsi.
Also affecting the company has been the poultry import ban
slapped on Indonesia by Japan. The company sent three containers
(about 70 metric tons) of processed chicken to Japan last
October, but they were detained because of Newcastle Disease.
"Now, after the government announced bird flu in Indonesia,
Japan has completely banned poultry products (from Indonesia),"
said Belfoods marketing manager Aryo Puntodewo.
He said that because the bird flu virus found here was the
H5N1, which is a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza,
Japan could ban Indonesian poultry products for three years after
the last recoded case of the disease, as agreed in a memorandum
of understanding between the two governments.
"Our customers in Japan have asked us to send goods, but their
government refuses to let any products in," said Sri.
Sri said there had been no cases of bird flu found in the
chickens raised by its supplier, PT Sierad Produce.
A total of 51 regencies in 10 provinces have been affected by
the bird flu outbreak. The government recently ordered a cull,
amounting to approximately 10 million chickens, to stop the
spread of bird flu in the country.
Belfoods sells chicken products in supermarkets and also
supplies several fast-food restaurant chains, namely McDonald's,
Wendy's and Kentucky Fried Chicken.