Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Exporter seeks new markets as Indonesia cuts beef imports

Updated at 1:15 pm on 26 January 2012

Beef exporters are looking to send their meat elsewhere as Indonesia slashes its imports by two thirds.

In 2010, Indonesia was New Zealand's second biggest beef export market by volume, taking almost 37,000 tonnes of beef and a further 12,000 tonnes of beef offals.

In total it imported 110,000 tonnes of beef that year.

As it pushes on with plans to be self-sufficient in beef production it has restricted imports to a maximum of 34,000 tonnes for this year.

Meat exporter ANZCO says it's disappointing to see such a good export market go to waste.

Managing director Mark Clarkson says Indonesia was the best market for lower grade beef exports, including feet and neck trimmings.

He says the company is struggling to find new markets to send those products to.

Indonesia has also reduced live cattle imports, some of which come from Australia.

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