REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Indonesian Ministry of Trade has issued import licenses (SPI) for 35 feedlot companies to export 150 thousand cattle in the first quarter of 2014.
"In the first quarter of 2014, a total of 130,245 imported pedigree cows and 22,860 slaughter cattle will arrive in the country. The Trade Ministry has issued SPIs for 35 companies," Director General of External Trade Bachrul Chairi said on Monday.
Bachrul noted that for the second quarter of 2014, the government planned to import 265 thousand pedigree and slaughter cows in preparations to face the 2014 post-fasting month Eid al Fitr holidays. For the third quarter, the government will import 167 thousand cattle and 170 thousand others in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Based on the data available at the trade ministry up to December 18, 2013, the normal pedigree cow import allocation stood at 267 thousand heads. In the first quarter, only 56,592 of them were imported.
In the second quarter, the allocation reached 117,747, in the third quarter 45,970 and in the fourth quarter 41,945. The export realization up to December 18 was recorded at 262,254 cows.
The director general explained that additional allocation was made in 2013 to meet the need for meat during the Eid al Fitr festivities. The allocation consisted of 89,500 pedigree cows (of which 24,466 were realized), 96,500 slaughter cows (97,892 were realized) and 500 mother cows (none realized).