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 stated on Friday.

“Some rivals have been spreading all sorts of rumours on the suspension of frozen buffalo meat by Indonesia with the ulterior motive of defaming safe, threat-totally free Indian buffalo meat with an aim to influence its exports to other countries.

“In watch of the simple fact that there is no this sort of suspension of imports of frozen boneless buffalo meat from India, this is bogus propaganda of some of India’s rivals as they are threatened by the ever growing good results of the Indian buffalo meat,” the embassy stated in a push release.

ABC report

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

The company quoted Waseso as reportedly saying: “due to the lockdown … furthermore the progress of the COVID-19 virus in India … we quickly stopped the (buffalo meat) import strategy.”

ABC even further reported that the trade experienced come to a overall halt. Nevertheless, it quoted Indonesian livestock consultant Robu Agustiar as saying that Indonesia experienced not made the decision to ban Indian buffalo meat imports but could postpone shipments.

Agustiar also reportedly stated the suspension of buffalo meat imports from India could last for 3 months.

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

“There is no situation with Indonesia (on buffalo meat exports). It is our rivals who are spreading rumours,” he stated.

“On the contrary, Indonesia is in the method of buying even further buffalo meat imports from India,” stated Bajaj, who is in demand of exports of processed meals and animal items.

ABC reported that Indonesia experienced specified permission to import eighty,000 tonnes of buffalo meat from India and so much, 13,000 tonnes experienced achieved the Significantly-East country. But Fauzan Alvi, 1 of India’s most significant meat exporters and spokesperson for All Indi Meat and Livestock Exporters Assoication stated Indonesia has currently sourced 25,seven hundred tonnes of buffalo meat from India due to the fact February this 12 months and there ended up certainly no issues in provides.

“Indonesia experienced committed to increase the quota to two lakh tonnes, but it is but to put into action it,” he stated.

“Bulog, which procures meat from India, has just put an enquiry for source of fifty three,000 tonnes of meat to be shipped in phases up to December. Orders primarily based on the enquiry must be finalised by Indian exporters in two months.There is no suspension of Indian exports to Indonesia and these are just baseless rumours,” stated Alavi.

Headway in Indonesian current market

Trade sources stated that Indian rivals, specifically in the Asia-Pacific location, ended up apprehensive that Indian buffalo meat enjoys a 30 per cent current market share in Indonesia at present.

According to beef2live.com Site, India rated fifth in phrases of beef exports, all buffalo meat only, shipping one.28 million tonnes and making the most of a twelve per cent share in the worldwide current market.

APEDA info displays that India’s buffalo meat exports recorded a substantial of one.forty seven million tonnes through 2014-15 in advance of dropping to one.15 million tonnes through 2019-20. Provisional figures for 2020-21 fiscal peg buffalo meat exports at one.08 million tonnes, even though the worth was greater at ₹23,460 crore as opposed with former fiscal’s ₹22,661 crore.

Exports rebound

As regards buffalo meat exports to Indonesia, shipments until eventually 2015-sixteen ended up underneath 900 tonnes in advance of collecting momentum and peaking at 94,five hundred tonnes through 2018-19. Though the shipments dropped to seventy three,136 tonnes in 2019-20, they experienced rebounded last 12 months. All through April-February last fiscal, India experienced exported eighty two,347 tonnes.

India has develop into a resource of a cheaper choice to high-priced beef from rivals this sort of as Brazil and Australia. It is also found as a cheaper resource of protein in the Significantly-East nation.

Trade sources stated that although Indian buffalo meat was accessible at much less than $three,five hundred ( ₹25,five hundred) a tonne, beef from origins this sort of as Australia dominated at previously mentioned $four,five hundred (₹32,850).

India’s exports of buffalo meat to Indonesia in 2019-20 ended up well worth $230 million with exports valued about the exact degree last fiscal. “We can quickly treble exports. We have all the resources,” stated Alavi.

“We have not slash into anyone’s current market share in Indonesia. We only made an more current market with our buffalo meat,” stated a trade resource without the need of wishing to be determined.