Jakarta-owned enterprise Perumda Dharma Jaya is set to beef up the city’s meat supply by importing 7,500 live cattle from Australia throughout 2026.

This strategic move is designed to shore up food security and keep price hikes at bay, particularly as demand peaks during the upcoming Ramadan and Idul Fitri festivities.

Perumda Dharma Jaya President Director, Raditya Endra Budiman stated that the company is currently waiting for the green light from the Ministry of Trade to move forward with the imports.

Despite the plan has been recommended in high-level coordination meetings, the final administrative approval is still in the pipeline.

"We're currently waiting for the green light from the Ministry of Trade, which we hope will be issued by the end of January. Once the permit is in hand, we can get the ball rolling on the procurement," he expressed, Wednesday (1/14).

He noted that import permits do not carry over and require a clean slate every year. If the paperwork clears the deck on schedule, the buying process will kick off in February, with the cattle expected to arrive within a two-to-three-week window post-transaction.

Raditya explained that the imports will be phased in to ensure the volume remains in line with the agency's holding facilities.

"Our Serang facility is currently capped at a capacity of 1,300 head of cattle. Therefore, we will kick things off with an initial batch of 750 out of the planned 7,500 cattle," he added.

Perumda Dharma Jaya is currently scouting for new land to house an additional 1,000 cattle, as the current Serang facility has hit a ceiling due to its designation as an agro-tourism zone.

With imports scheduled in quarterly cycles, Raditya noted that their current inventory is almost wiped out due to surging demand.

"Our previous stocks have virtually cleared out. We are down to our last 400 head, and even those are already spoken for in preparation for Ramadan," he added.

Raditya noted that Perumda Dharma Jaya is casting a wide net, serving high demand across Jakarta, Bogor, Serang, and West Java.

This preference for imported cattle is driven by local traders who see them as a cut above in terms of genetics and overall quality compared to local livestock.

"We are keeping our finger on the pulse of market demand. By phasing in imports and shoring up infrastructure, the agency is committed to holding the fort on food security—ensuring the community has access to a safe, affordable, and sustainable beef supply for the long haul," he stated.