T

he Indonesian Meat Importers Association (Aspidi) has urged the government to respond to Australia’s ban on meat exports to Indonesia by improving surveillance at slaughterhouses.

The Australian government on Tuesday suspended live cattle exports to 11 Indonesian slaughterhouses accused of cruel treatment of cattle.

The report, which aired on the ABC’s Four Corners program, showed cattle at the slaughterhouses being beaten and gouged, having their throats hacked at and dying prolonged deaths.

The 11 slaughterhouses in Jakarta, Bogor, Bandar Lampung and Medan were selected at random in March to be videotaped by Lyn White, a former police officer and campaign director of the animal welfare group Animals Australia.

“This is [due] to a lack of surveillance,” Aspidi executive director Thomas Sembiring said.

He said the Agriculture Ministry’s directorate general for animal husbandry had issued regulations on animal welfare, including regulating slaughtering methods.

But Australia’s complaint showed that there were flaws in the implementation of the regulations,
he added.

“The staffers in the slaughterhouses are not complying with the procedures when slaughtering the animals,” he said.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi dismissed allegations that the abattoirs had committed animal cruelty. He said that the slaughterhouses’ methods were “still in line with our social and cultural values”.

“But if [Australia] wants it to be done fast, I would recommend that they make an investment to improve the slaughterhouses in Indonesia,” he added.

Furious about Australia’s ban, the Indonesian Meat Producers and Feedlot Association (Apfindo) said Australia had made inappropriate generalizations in accusing local slaughterhouses of brutal mistreatment of imported live cattle.

Apfindo executive director Joni Liano said that 90 percent of the 112 slaughterhouses that were used by its member companies used restraining boxes — devices that hold down the animal in position at the time of slaughter to prevent unnecessary discomfort.

“I acknowledge that those slaughterhouses still use the old method of slaughtering. It is not easy to make them change what has been their habit and culture in slaughtering live cattle,” Joni added.

Live cattle export to Indonesia is a huge business for Australia as it exports more than 500,000 live cows annually.

Indonesia’s beef demand for this year is estimated at 506,000 tons, which will be met with the import of 600,000 live cows and 72,000 tons of beef. Local production will also contribute to meeting the national demand.