Industry Events
IndoLivestock 2018 opens its doors and hearts to the President
H
by Roger Gilbert, Publisher, International Aquafeed
osted by the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health of the Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture, ‘IndoLivestock’ 2018 Exposition and Forum has become a ‘must attend’ event for decision makers and buyers not only within this wide-ranging country but from across Asia. More than 14,000 trade visitors attended the Exposition and its seminar and technical product presentation held in Jakarta’ city-center Convention Centre from July 4-6, 2018. This year’s show hosted over 500 exhibitors from 40 countries. But this was an event with a difference! When the president of your country puts time aside to visit an exhibition about feed production and livestock farming systems, you know that the eyes of the nation are upon you and the work you are doing. To anybody’s mind, this was a significant development. Word spread as soon as the halls opened on the last day of the show that the president might attend. When all exhibitors and visitors had to exit the building in order for a protection detail to do a security sweep of the four exhibition halls the rumor took on some credibility. Then just after lunch,
with the entrance crammed with visitors, President Joko Widodo’s cavalcade arrived. There was immediate silence and then a spontaneous round of applause as he entered the main hall. President Widodo spent over 90 minutes visiting feed company stands and a selection of equipment suppliers – both local and international – of the feed, poultry, dairy and aquaculture. When attending other conferences and events he normally allocates just 30 minutes. International Aquafeed’s event manager Tuti Tan had the privilege of shaking President Joko Widodo hand and while he passed by our stand. The importance of scientificallyformulated compound feeds cannot be overstated when a country is trying to overcome poverty and malnutrition and the president is an example of the attention that our industry should be receiving
56 | August 2018 - International Aquafeed
from the highest level in order to meet the nutritional needs of growing populations.
The feed industry growth
Dr Desianto Budi Utomo, Vice President of PT Chareon Pokphand Indonesia, the country’s largest feed milling company, told International Aquafeed the feed industry in Indonesia is dependent on the poultry industry as it accounts for almost 90 percent of all animal and fish protein consumed by the country’s 267 million people. Poultry represents 65 percent of all protein consumed by Indonesians, he adds. Five years ago, and earlier the country’s feed sector was growing at 10-12 percent per annum, but now for the past few years that growth has fallen back to between five-to-eight percent per annum. While that is a significant decline, it is meeting demand and is sustainable, says Dr Budi Utomo. “Poultry still has a great future in Indonesia as the total consumption per capita is only 12kg per year while in countries in the region, such as Malaysia, per capita production is about three-time that at 40kg per annum. “We are still lagging behind other countries in Asia. Even if we double production we would still be lagging behind other in the region,” he adds. “So, the future remains is huge here for our 260 million people who have to be fed and where over 55 percent of that is coming from poultry.” That extra production says Dr Budi Utomo will come from both a combination of