JAKARTA — Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Friday ordered an investigation of slaughterhouses as he sought to ensure meat supplies after Australia suspended live cattle exports due to animal cruelty concerns.
"We have to highly respect animal welfare. The agriculture minister and health minister must visit the abattoirs," he told reporters at a news conference.
Australia on Wednesday suspended all live cattle exports to Indonesia for up to six months after a public outcry when shocking images of mistreatment in the country's slaughterhouses were broadcast on state television.
The footage broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation included kicking, hitting, gouging of eyes and breaking of tails of some animals as Indonesian workers attempted to force them into slaughter boxes.
Yudhoyono also said the country needed to find a swift solution to ensure meat supplies ahead of important Islamic holidays.
"What we need to do is to find a solution for the short and long term... if we fail to take appropriate measures, it could affect domestic meat supply," he said.
He ordered his ministers to act immediately to prevent a possible increase in meat price as the mainly Muslim country will celebrate the holy month of Ramadan in July and the Eid al-Fitr holiday in August.
With some cattle producers considering a class action against Meat and Livestock Australia, Mr Holmes a Court said a witch-hunt was pointless and the industry must instead find a solution to the problems exposed by ABC TV's Four Corners program last week.
He said Heytesbury would not send another beast to Indonesia until it could be guaranteed abattoirs there used Australian standards. The West Australian understands Heytesbury and two other big cattle exporters, AACo and Consolidated, plan to supply animals only to Indonesian abattoirs that guarantee to stun them before slaughter.
The MLA and Livecorp will likely be grilled by a Senate inquiry.
The meatworkers' union says a report received by the MLA more than a year ago shows it knew of sub-standard practices in Indonesian slaughterhouses.
But the head of the industryordered investigation of 11 Indonesian slaughterhouses, Professor Ivan Caple, said his four-person panel found no evidence of cruelty but did uncover some practices not compliant with world standards.
Professor Caple said the suspension was a "political decision" to focus the industry on improving all the practices conducted on Australian cattle in Indonesia.
"A total ban on Australian cattle to Indonesia would be disastrous because the improvements that have been made in the treatment of all cattle in Indonesia since Australia has been involved there would be lost," he said.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday ordered an investigation of abattoirs, saying a swift solution was needed to ensure meat supplies.
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