"Goats are expensive because the (distribution is rather) strict from Java. Earlier, there were traders who said that (distributing) here was not easy because the government was extra careful about Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) because Bali is safe," the minister stated in Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday.
Goats in Badung Market were currently priced at Rp160 thousand per kilogram. Hasan noted that goats from outside Bali should not transmit the virus after entering the region.
"FMD is transmitted in various ways, with some directly from animals while some through us. Hence, they must be vaccinated and quarantined, (and) indeed (the monitoring should become stricter), so that Bali is free from FMD," he elaborated.
Moreover, one of the goat meat traders admitted that it was getting increasingly difficult to get goats to Bali since the disease spread.
"Yes, (the price) is still high because in Gilimanuk, it is withheld and not allowed to be distributed. Goats may be (distributed in Bali but we) have to pay Rp250 thousand for each. Usually, there is no payment at all. This is due to the presence of FMD," a trader at Badung Market, Sulaiman Fadli, 42, stated.
Fadli noted that the tariffs were burdensome for merchants. Sulaiman, who usually got 30 goats from Java, had to pay up to Rp7.5 million for them.
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In the wake of these conditions, Fadli, who had been in business since 2006, eventually had to procure goats from within Bali, albeit at a price higher than that of Javanese goats.
"I urge for the (distribution of) goats to be (made easy). There is no problem (diseases) with the goats, just the cows. Pigs can be distributed back and forth, but goats do not, which is what I was confused about," Fadli emphasized.
Since the price of goats rose by Rp10 thousand as compared to earlier, the merchant admitted that it was difficult to find buyers. He was earlier able to sell 12 goats a day, though now, he only sold at the most five goats.
On the other hand, the minister noted that other basic ingredients, such as chili and onions, were still priced reasonably and even lower than the prices in Java.
"The prices in the Badung Market are stable and even below the average price in other markets that I visited. For instance, onions are priced at Rp23 thousand and the best is Rp25 thousand, in Java, the average is Rp30 thousand. Chili here is cheaper at Rp45 thousand, while in Java, the average is Rp60 thousand," he concluded.
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Translator: Ni Putu Putri M, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
