Indonesia starts sending frozen chicken to Singapore
Indonesia on Wednesday (July 13) started delivering frozen chicken to Singapore, a move that will allow the Republic to diversify its chicken sources after its major supplier Malaysia banned exports early last month.
As much as 50,000kg of frozen chicken, worth 2 billion rupiah (S$187,749), from integrated poultry company Charoen Pokphand Indonesia (CPI) is set to depart from Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta on Wednesday evening. They are estimated to arrive in Singapore on Friday and be handled by Crown Pacific Beverage, the CPI’s trading partner.
The shipment came after the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approved Indonesia as Singapore’s new source of frozen, chilled and processed chicken meat to the Republic on June 30. Chicken from three establishments run by CPI and Ciomas Adisatwa, a subsidiary of publicly-listed Japfa Comfeed Indonesia, can be imported.
CPI expects to deliver 1,000 tonnes of frozen chicken in total gradually throughout this year to Singapore, in line with its business-to-business contract, its president-commissioner Hadi Gunawan Tjoe said during the ceremony on Wednesday.
“We have high hopes that the exports will run well and sustainably, and (with) further increase,” he said, adding that the exports are expected to bring a better outlook for Indonesia’s poultry industry amid the global food crisis.
The 1,000 tonne contract is worth 40 billion rupiah, said Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo, who was present in the ceremony on Wednesday.
Besides Singapore, CPI has also exported chicken and chicken products to Japan, Timor-Leste, Papua Guinea, and Qatar.
Indonesia has never sold chicken to Singapore, and has so far exported salted eggs totaling around 50,000 month to its neighbor.
Syahrul described Indonesia’s latest exports of frozen chicken to Singapore as “special”, indicating the preparedness of local poultry breeders to meet overseas demand.
He said the exports were encouraging “as Singapore has so far bought (chicken) from a few other countries” as well. The minister also noted that the exports are still in line with Indonesia’s capacity to ensure its national supply.
Another company getting the SFA’s nod, Ciomas Adisatwa, said the company will begin shipping frozen chickens to Singapore on July 24 and aims to deliver 100 tonnes of frozen chicken within the first month of its deliveries.
CPI president-director Tjiu Thomas Effendy said the company is currently negotiating a contract with another buyer in Singapore, apart from the current importer with which it is working. He also expects to expand sales of frozen chicken to Singapore this year beyond the 1,000 tonnes that have been sealed with its Singapore partner.
CPI director Ferdiansyah Gunawan Tjoe said transporting the frozen chickens by sea is chosen as it is the most cost efficient mode of transport.
On chilled chicken, he said: “We are trying to find special packaging technology that can prolong the shell life of chilled chickens to eight days.” The current shelf life is four days.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES