Novia D.Rulistia and Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Hundreds of meat sellers from Greater Jakarta protested at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, demanding the government stabilize rising meat prices.
Zainuddin, vice chairman of the Association of Meat Traders (APD), said rising prices made it difficult for them to buy cattle, while consumers could not afford to purchase beef.
Beef prices surged to about Rp 52,000 a kilo in traditional markets on Wednesday, up from about Rp 45,000 a kilo, the APD said. Protesters urged the government to put an end to monopolies over meat and cattle imports, and to lower the price of local and imported cattle.
According to the APD, the price of imported cattle is Rp 15,000 per kilogram, including transportation costs. After reaching the slaughterhouse, the price is Rp 18,000 per kilogram, and is Rp 35,000 per kilogram after the meat has been dressed out. "The question now is how the price in the market can reach Rp 52,000 per kilogram?" Udin said.
Most meat sellers in traditional markets in Greater Jakarta closed their stores Wednesday and say they will stay closed until Friday. The government has yet to respond to the protest.
Despite the seemingly unified front presented by the meat sellers, some said they were forced to join the rally by the APD.
Oking, quoted by Antara newswire, said the APD threatened to fine meat sellers Rp 10 million if they failed to take part in the protest. "And it will cost us around Rp 450,000 if we don't sell meat for three days," he said.
Chairman of the Indonesian Food and Beverages Association, Thomas Dharmawan, told The Jakarta Post rising beef prices were likely driven by cattle shortages in Australia, Indonesia's main provider, as a result of prolonged drought. He said obstacles during the shipping process, including rough seas, were also causing delays in the supply of cattle to slaughterhouses.
Thomas said domestic demand for beef this year would reach about 385,035 tons, while the country has 11.26 million cows, equal to about 249,925 tons of beef. "That means we have to import about 135,110 tons of beef to cover the demand," he said.
Citing association data, he said that in 2006, the country imported 60,186 tons of beef, up from 54,370 tons in 2005. During the first seven months of last year, he said, Indonesia imported 47,234 tons of beef.
This year, he said, meat imports are expected to grow by 16.84 percent. "The government should conduct an overall evaluation of its beef policy, which should also involve people from the association to be able to solve this problem," Thomas said.