Government issues permit to import 123,800 feedlot cows
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Indonesias Trade Ministry has issued a license to import 123,800 feedlot cows in the third semester of this year after feedlot businesses committed to import 20 percent heifers of the total cattle imports.
“For the third semester of 2016, the import agreement letter (SPI) has been issued for 32 importer companies to import 123,800 heads of cows,” Director General of Internal Trade of the Trade Ministry, Oke Nurwan, told a press conference here on Friday.
The director general said the permits should have been issued in September but the government issued these in October only after feedlot importers made a commitment to import 20 percent heifers when they import cows. The government has made it obligatory upon importers to also include heifers while importing feedlot cattle.
According to Oke, a license for importing cows is given to importers for shipment until the end of December 2016.A limited cabinet meeting held previously had agreed to allow import of 150 thousand heads of cattle in the third semester.
Indonesia needed to import one million heads of cows this year to meet the domestic need for beef. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade, therefore, require importers to include heifers while importing feedlot cattle.
“We hope that some 20 percent of the 700 thousand imported feedlot cattle are heifers,” Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman had pointed out in Yogyakarta on October 6.
To expedite cattle production, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade have made it obligatory for importers to include mother cows in their feedlot cattle imports.
Questions & Answers
Q.How many feedlot cows did the government initially agree to allow for import in the third semester?
How many feedlot cows did the government initially agree to allow for import in the third semester?
A limited cabinet meeting previously agreed to allow the import of 150,000 heads of cattle in the third semester. This figure was higher than the number of permits actually issued by the Trade Ministry.
Q.What commitment did feedlot businesses make to secure the import permits?
What commitment did feedlot businesses make to secure the import permits?
Feedlot businesses committed to import 20 percent heifers as part of their total cattle imports. This obligation was set by the government to expedite domestic cattle production.
Q.Why did the government delay issuing the import permits until October?
Why did the government delay issuing the import permits until October?
The permits, which should have been issued in September, were delayed until October. This was because the government waited for feedlot importers to commit to including heifers with their imports.
Q.By when are importers expected to ship the newly permitted cows?
By when are importers expected to ship the newly permitted cows?
Importers have been given a license for shipping the cows until the end of December 2016. This provides a timeframe for the import operations to be completed.
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