Indonesia not suspended Indian buffalo meat imports, confirms Indian Embassy in Jakarta

Indonesia has not suspended import of frozen boneless frozen buffalo meat from India, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta reported on Friday.

“Some competition have been spreading all types of rumours on the suspension of frozen buffalo meat by Indonesia with the ulterior motive of defaming safe and sound, possibility-no cost Indian buffalo meat with an goal to impact its exports to other international locations.

“In look at of the simple fact that there is no these kinds of suspension of imports of frozen boneless buffalo meat from India, this is bogus propaganda of some of India’s competition as they are threatened by the at any time raising success of the Indian buffalo meat,” the embassy reported in a press release.

ABC report

Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported in a report on Wednesday, quoting Reuters, that the Indonesia logistics company Bulog Main Government Budi Waseso experienced explained to his Parliament that buffalo meat exports from India experienced been suspended due to problems over the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company quoted Waseso as reportedly stating: “due to the lockdown … plus the enhancement of the COVID-19 virus in India … we quickly stopped the (buffalo meat) import prepare.”

ABC more claimed that the trade experienced arrive to a overall halt. On the other hand, it quoted Indonesian livestock guide Robu Agustiar as stating that Indonesia experienced not decided to ban Indian buffalo meat imports but could postpone shipments.

Agustiar also reportedly reported the suspension of buffalo meat imports from India could last for a few months.

“There is no suspension of our buffalo meat imports,” reported Tarun Bajaj, Director of Agricultural and Processed Food items Merchandise Exports Progress Authority (APEDA), which supervises and encourages agricultural exports.

“There is no issue with Indonesia (on buffalo meat exports). It is our competition who are spreading rumours,” he reported.

“On the contrary, Indonesia is in the course of action of buying more buffalo meat imports from India,” reported Bajaj, who is in demand of exports of processed foodstuff and animal merchandise.

ABC claimed that Indonesia experienced presented permission to import 80,000 tonnes of buffalo meat from India and so significantly, 13,000 tonnes experienced achieved the Considerably-East state. But Fauzan Alvi, one particular of India’s largest meat exporters and spokesperson for All Indi Meat and Livestock Exporters Assoication reported Indonesia has now sourced twenty five,seven hundred tonnes of buffalo meat from India considering the fact that February this year and there were absolutely no troubles in provides.

“Indonesia experienced fully commited to increase the quota to two lakh tonnes, but it is but to implement it,” he reported.

“Bulog, which procures meat from India, has just positioned an enquiry for offer of 53,000 tonnes of meat to be transported in phases up to December. Orders dependent on the enquiry need to be finalised by Indian exporters in two weeks.There is no suspension of Indian exports to Indonesia and these are just baseless rumours,” reported Alavi.

Headway in Indonesian marketplace

Trade sources reported that Indian competition, significantly in the Asia-Pacific area, were anxious that Indian buffalo meat enjoys a 30 per cent marketplace share in Indonesia presently.

According to beef2live.com Site, India ranked fifth in conditions of beef exports, all buffalo meat only, delivery one.28 million tonnes and making the most of a twelve per cent share in the world wide marketplace.

APEDA facts shows that India’s buffalo meat exports recorded a superior of one.forty seven million tonnes during 2014-fifteen ahead of dropping to one.fifteen million tonnes during 2019-twenty. Provisional figures for 2020-21 fiscal peg buffalo meat exports at one.08 million tonnes, although the value was larger at ₹23,460 crore as opposed with preceding fiscal’s ₹22,661 crore.

Exports rebound

As regards buffalo meat exports to Indonesia, shipments till 2015-16 were under 900 tonnes ahead of gathering momentum and peaking at ninety four,500 tonnes during 2018-19. However the shipments dropped to seventy three,136 tonnes in 2019-twenty, they experienced rebounded last year. All through April-February last fiscal, India experienced exported 82,347 tonnes.

India has come to be a source of a cheaper alternative to costly beef from competition these kinds of as Brazil and Australia. It is also noticed as a cheaper source of protein in the Considerably-East nation.

Trade sources reported that although Indian buffalo meat was obtainable at fewer than $3,500 ( ₹25,500) a tonne, beef from origins these kinds of as Australia ruled at earlier mentioned $4,500 (₹32,850).

India’s exports of buffalo meat to Indonesia in 2019-twenty were value $230 million with exports valued all-around the same degree last fiscal. “We can easily treble exports. We have all the resources,” reported Alavi.

“We have not slice into anyone’s marketplace share in Indonesia. We only created an extra marketplace with our buffalo meat,” reported a trade source without the need of wishing to be determined.