City to use 700 animal inspectors

JAKARTA: The City Husbandry, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Agency will deploy 700 inspectors to ensure that cattle to be slaughtered during the upcoming Idul Adha holiday are clean and disease-free.

The Islamic Idul Adha observance requires the sacrifice of livestock, such as bulls, cows, sheep or goats, with the meat distributed to the poor.

Agency head M. Rahardjo, told city-owned news portal beritajakarta.com on Thursday that the inspectors were from the agency, the Bogor Institute of Agriculture, the Indonesian Veterinary Association (PDHI) and other related agencies.

"The inspection is to ensure that residents receive disease- free meat," he said.

The inspectors will be deployed at several spots across the city to carry out free checkups on livestock before they are slaughtered.

It is expected that Jakartans will need some 3,500 cows, 100 bulls, 35,000 goats and 1,000 sheep.

Idul Adha is slated to fall on Feb. 12, although some Islamic organizations have decided it will fall on Feb. 11. -- JP