Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Indonesia is considering easing restrictions on live cattle imports to secure domestic meat supplies, while moving to tighten controls on frozen beef imports to balance prices and support local value creation.
Chief Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan said on Monday the option under review would prioritize imports of live cattle, rather than frozen meat, to generate broader economic benefits at home.
"If we want empowerment, then we open up live cattle imports so there is added value," Zulkifli told reporters at his office. He said importing live animals would help create jobs, support cattle fattening programs and increase demand for animal feed such as grass and fodder.
Under the proposal, frozen beef imports would be more tightly regulated to ensure balance. The government plans to involve state logistics agency Bulog to manage frozen beef imports, with a mandate to control volumes and stabilize prices.
"Frozen beef imports will be arranged so they are handled by Bulog, allowing prices and quantities to be controlled," Zulkifli said.
Indonesia has imported 25,097 breeding cattle from Australia as of July 2025, part of a government target to bring in between 150,000 and 200,000 breeding cows annually to accelerate national milk and beef production and achieve self-sufficiency in milk and beef by 2029.
For 2025, the government allocated an import quota of 180,000 tons of beef to meet domestic demand. However, the Indonesian Meat Producers and Processors Association (APPDI) said that as of August, import realization had lagged, leaving around 100,000 tons of unused quota.
According to the Agriculture Ministry's Beef Livestock Commodity Outlook published in late 2023, Indonesia's beef demand in 2025 is projected at 739,668 tons, leaving an estimated deficit of 294,550 tons.
Australia remains Indonesia's dominant supplier of live cattle, including feeder and fattening stock. To diversify supply, the government has also opened imports from Brazil and the United States. Frozen beef imports come from a wider range of countries, including Australia, India, Brazil, New Zealand and Spain.