Yogyakarta cattle prices drop drastically; farmers protest

Farmers in Kulonprogo regency, Yogyakarta, have appealed to the government to intervene as the price of cattle has continued to decline over the past six months.

A local cow, which previously cost between Rp 8 million (US$888) and Rp 10 million is now priced at between Rp 3 million and Rp 5 million, while calves cost between Rp 2 million and Rp 3 million, metrotvnews.com reported Thursday.

The farmers asked the government to take action so prices could increase again, otherwise they would be unable to repay their debts.

The price of imported cattle from Australia has also dropped by more than 50 percent over the same period. Farmers said they did not know what was behind the price drop.