Despite regaining access to the Indonesian beef market since 2011, Irish beef companies have done no business in Indonesia in that time. Regulatory hold-ups by Indonesian authorities have been blamed for preventing Irish companies from supplying beef to what is a large market, with Indonesia importing 80,000t of beef last year.
Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture have used this week’s trade mission to Indonesia to get to the bottom of these regulatory barriers and see if they can be resolved.
On Monday, Bord Bia and Department officials met with the Indonesian Meat Importers Association (ASPIDI) and Indoguna, one of the leading meat importers in Indonesia.
It emerged during these meetings that there was a significant change in 2015 in Indonesian regulations around meat imports, which has added an extra step to the import clearance process.
Companies seeking to supply meat to Indonesia must now also receive clearance from the Indonesian Ministry of Trade and not just the Ministry for Agriculture.
The process is not dissimilar to the import regulations that China has in place for meat
“Monday’s meetings were invaluable,” Bord Bia chief executive Tara McCarthy told the Irish Farmers Journal.
“Clearly there has been a very big change here in 2015. It’s huge for us to understand that extra step that Indonesian authorities have added to the process, where the Ministry of Trade is now involved in the process. The process is not dissimilar to the import regulations that China has in place for meat,” said McCarthy.
Ireland exported up to 15,000t of beef to Indonesia in the 1990s.
Bord Bia believes the extra step is designed to give the Indonesian government better oversight of where meat entering the country comes from and stop random imports entering the system.
There are 85 companies cleared to import meat into Indonesia and Bord Bia says the next step will be to identify the key players on that list for Irish beef companies to target.
'Vague recollection'
In the 1990s, Ireland exported as much as 15,000t of beef to Indonesia every year.
While the import market is now dominated by Australian, US and New Zealand beef, Bord Bia hopes to restart trade over the coming years.
“There’s a vague recollection among Indonesian importers of Ireland as a source of beef,” said Padraig Brennan, director of markets at Bord Bia.
“However, given the length of time that’s passed since Ireland last did business in Indonesia it’s no surprise the market has changed significantly both from a policy point of view and who’s supplying the market. We very much have to figure out the Indonesian meat market all over again,” said Brennan.
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Despite regaining access to the Indonesian beef market since 2011, Irish beef companies have done no business in Indonesia in that time. Regulatory hold-ups by Indonesian authorities have been blamed for preventing Irish companies from supplying beef to what is a large market, with Indonesia importing 80,000t of beef last year.
Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture have used this week’s trade mission to Indonesia to get to the bottom of these regulatory barriers and see if they can be resolved.
On Monday, Bord Bia and Department officials met with the Indonesian Meat Importers Association (ASPIDI) and Indoguna, one of the leading meat importers in Indonesia.
It emerged during these meetings that there was a significant change in 2015 in Indonesian regulations around meat imports, which has added an extra step to the import clearance process.
Companies seeking to supply meat to Indonesia must now also receive clearance from the Indonesian Ministry of Trade and not just the Ministry for Agriculture.
The process is not dissimilar to the import regulations that China has in place for meat
“Monday’s meetings were invaluable,” Bord Bia chief executive Tara McCarthy told the Irish Farmers Journal.
“Clearly there has been a very big change here in 2015. It’s huge for us to understand that extra step that Indonesian authorities have added to the process, where the Ministry of Trade is now involved in the process. The process is not dissimilar to the import regulations that China has in place for meat,” said McCarthy.
Ireland exported up to 15,000t of beef to Indonesia in the 1990s.
Bord Bia believes the extra step is designed to give the Indonesian government better oversight of where meat entering the country comes from and stop random imports entering the system.
There are 85 companies cleared to import meat into Indonesia and Bord Bia says the next step will be to identify the key players on that list for Irish beef companies to target.
'Vague recollection'
In the 1990s, Ireland exported as much as 15,000t of beef to Indonesia every year.
While the import market is now dominated by Australian, US and New Zealand beef, Bord Bia hopes to restart trade over the coming years.
“There’s a vague recollection among Indonesian importers of Ireland as a source of beef,” said Padraig Brennan, director of markets at Bord Bia.
“However, given the length of time that’s passed since Ireland last did business in Indonesia it’s no surprise the market has changed significantly both from a policy point of view and who’s supplying the market. We very much have to figure out the Indonesian meat market all over again,” said Brennan.
Read more
Indonesian dairy consumption taking off from a low base
Ireland faces stiff competition in Indonesia's dairy market
Watch: Trade mission jets off to Indonesia and Malaysia
Focus on growing exports to Asia as Brexit alternative
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