Customers snap up Indian meat

The Jakarta Post, Samarinda

Amid high prices ahead of the Idul Fitri celebration for beef several meat traders in Samarinda, East Kalimantan province were selling low-priced beef allegedly imported from India.

The beef was offered at Rp 25,000 (US$2.50) per kilogram, much lower than local meat at Rp 52,000 per kg.

A trader in Samarinda traditional market, Sutinah, claimed on Monday she could sell 100 kg of imported meat daily, gaining a profit of Rp 5,000 per kg.

She said the meat was ordered directly from traders in Nunukan which then sent it by sea to Samarinda.

A customer, Rujiah, said she bought the imported meat because it was cheap but made sure she cooked it longer. "Harmful bacteria can be found in both local or imported meat. The important thing is how you cook it," she said.

Head of East Kalimantan's Husbandry Office, Syahtiar, said the illegal meat from India entered the province through the Nunukan and Malaysia border and reached markets in Tarakan and other cities in the province.

The meat, he added, could not be guaranteed free from disease since it did not undergo the routine screening. "So people have to be careful. Don't consume illegal meat," he said.