Lamb Meat Imports Halted: Top 10 Producing Provinces in Indonesia

The Ministry of Agriculture has temporarily halted the issuance of import recommendations for adult sheep or mutton. According to *Katadata*, this policy aims to protect domestic farmers.

"This policy is implemented to protect local farmers from unhealthy price competition due to the high circulation of cheap imported meat, especially from Australia," said the Director General of Livestock and Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture, Agung Suganda, in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday (1/12/2024).

Agung explained that this measure had been communicated in a meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture and importers. The policy aligns with the direction of the Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, to maintain the sustainability of the people's livestock farming business.

"We ensure that imported meat prices do not pressure local farmers," he said.

If the import tap is temporarily stopped, what is the strength of Indonesia's mutton production?

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia's mutton production weight reached 52,990 tons in 2023. This volume increased by 1.6% from 2022, which was 52,160 tons.

Based on the producing regions, the largest comes from West Java with a volume of 33,490 tons last year. This figure increased from 31,860 tons in 2021 and 33,220 tons in 2022.

This volume is far greater than that of other provinces in Indonesia.

East Java, in second place, produced 6,610 tons in 2023. Third is Central Java, with 6,375 tons.

Fourth and fifth are Yogyakarta Special Region and Banten, with volumes of 2,345.6 and 2,140 tons respectively.

Following are North Sumatra, Aceh, Lampung, Jambi, and South Sumatra in the top 10. The details are as follows:

* West Java: 33,494.5 tons
* East Java: 6,619.8 tons
* Central Java: 6,375 tons
* Yogyakarta Special Region: 2,345.6 tons
* Banten: 2,140 tons
* North Sumatra: 757.3 tons
* Aceh: 572.7 tons
* Lampung: 151.6 tons
* Jambi: 121.9 tons
* South Sumatra: 91.8 tons.

(Also read: Indonesia's 2023 Livestock Meat Production from Cattle to Horses)