0 Businesses criticize government beef import cut

The government’s decision to reduce the quota of imported beef has significantly impacted upon suppliers and hotels in Bali, especially during the year end peak season, when beef demand increases. Businesses complained that the government cut the import quota, but had yet to be successful in improving the standards of local products. Dhany Purwanto, sales manager at the Bali branch of Classic Fine Foods Indonesia, a company supplying imported beef to starred hotels, said on Tuesday that the import cut had affected the company’s business. 

“It has hampered our supply. Now, it’s more difficult for us to meet our targets, especially this month.” “Our customers have complained about this, but we always try to anticipate and find the solution.” He considered the government’s move to cut the import as a hasty decision with a lack of planning. “It’s good that the government called for the use of local beef, but it is impossible to improve the condition of local ranches within a short period of time.” If the import cut was aimed at empowering local ranches, then the improvement should be supported by good technology and maintenance to ensure the cattle will produce quality beef, he said. 

Since the import cut has been enacted, the company can only supply to its loyal customers. I Gusti Agung Gede Agung, executive sous chef at St. Regis Resort, said the import cut was significant, especially in the festive season, when hotels and restaurants usually saw a larger number of guests and beef was one of the preferred ingredients on the menu. “Since last month, it’s been more difficult for us to get all the products we’ve ordered. We have to fulfill needs from a number of suppliers, each of which has its own quota,” said Agung, also chef de cuisine at Kayu Putih Restaurant. 

“On the other hand, we have to maintain the quality of our food. We have high expectations of quality food that we can’t always fulfill by using local beef,” he said, adding that he also used local beef for some food, but with a longer cooking process. He urged the government to balance the import cut with a thorough improvement in local ranches, implementing technology used by advanced countries and continuously educating local farmers. “It will be good if the government could implement advanced technology here, so that local ranches could produce high quality beef. 

As chefs who use the products, we will be more satisfied.” Responding to this issue, the head of the provincial Animal Husbandry Agency, Putu Sumatra, said the administration had no authority to decide the quota for imported beef. “We can only make recommendations to the central government, which will then decide the national quota. I’m sure the government has thoroughly calculated the quotas for imported beef and local beef.” He said that the government would reduce the quota for imported beef. However, hotels and restaurants on the island required beef with a certain quality that could not be replaced with local beef. 

“We hope that imports are limited and will only be allocated for certain needs, such as starred hotels and restaurants.” For next year, Bali will import around 2,000 tons of beef, 25 percent of the island’s total requirement of beef, which reaches around 8,000 tons annually. However, that amount could change, given that it is subject to other factors, such as foreign tourist arrivals, he said.

source : bali daily