Bali and Timor-Leste discuss proposal to export up to 10,000 cattle
The proposed trade remains subject to checks on livestock availability and health, as well as regulatory approvals.
A proposal for Bali to supply Timor-Leste with up to 10,000 cattle was discussed at a meeting in Denpasar between Governor Wayan Koster and a Timor-Leste government delegation, officials said.
The initiative is intended to strengthen Timor-Leste’s food security and open additional trading opportunities for Bali’s cattle farmers. The number of animals that could be exported has yet to be verified through stock surveys and technical assessments, Koster said in an official statement.
Koster said regional agencies must check the age, sex, health and origin of cattle considered suitable for export. He said the inventory was needed to safeguard local herds and help ensure stable returns for farmers.
Any shipments would also need to meet animal health and quarantine rules, transport and shipping capacity requirements, administrative procedures and international trade approvals involving both central governments.
The talks also covered training for farmers, exchanges of breeding technology and improvements in livestock genetics. Timor-Leste’s State Secretary for Livestock, José Vieira de Araújo, expressed interest in working with Bali to improve farm management and workforce skills for his country’s long-term agricultural development.
