Bulog's Director of Supply Chain and Public Service Mokhamad Suyamto said in a statement received here on Sunday that Bulog conducts regular laboratory tests, including FMD tests, to ensure that the frozen buffalo meat imported from India has met the government's health standards.
"Alhamdulillah (thank God), the results of the PCR tests yesterday are negative. Thus, Bulog is even more confident in distributing this frozen buffalo meat commodity to meet the meat needs in the country," he said.
He added that before the FMD outbreak, the mechanism that Bulog applies for importing buffalo meat is that the meat should have passed the verification process from the Ministry of Agriculture. The meat is examined and certified by the Tanjung Priok Quarantine Center of the Ministry of Agriculture upon arrival in Indonesia.
Related news: Bulog to import 80 thousand tons buffalo meat in 2021
"Before bring shipped to Indonesia, the buffalo meat, imported by Bulog, must have been confirmed to be supplied by suppliers that have gotten halal certification from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI)," he explained.
In addition, the meat must have also met the animal health requirements and been declared fit for human consumption by the Veterinary Agency in India, he further said.
The government has assigned Bulog to import 100 thousand tons of frozen buffalo meat in 2022 to provide an alternative choice for the community in meeting the needs of meat and as part of efforts to keep the meat prices stable at the consumer level.
So far, Bulog has imported as many as 46 thousand tons of frozen buffalo meat to the country. Thus, Bulog has succeeded in helping overcome the demand for frozen meat so that during this year's Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, the meat prices could remain stable.
Related news: Government tasks Bulog with importing 100 thousand tons buffalo meat
Translator: Aditya Ramadhan, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
